So I have this group of friends that I hang out with(shocker), and every now and then we'll get together for dance parties, movies, T.V. specials, or holiday dinners. Everyone usually contributes in some way. I am usually known for bringing a Capri Sun to start off my night if there's alcohol involved. Don't worry, it's a safe, legal environment. I wouldn't go if it wasn't...weren't? Correct grammar here? Where is a Grammar Nazi when I need one?
Moving on.
So I mixed a few recipes together. I knew I wanted to make Sweet Potato Casserole from the moment I walked into Kroger and saw the yams on sale for about $0.39 a pound. I was like Whoa. So I got a bunch, called my mom and did the whole "Moooommmy. What do I do with Sweet potatoes to make a casserole?" whiny 13 year old voice with my 26 year old pipes. And she bought into it. Either that, or she felt horrible for me, and instead of telling me at the beginning of the conversation that we have the technology to look on the internet for recipes, she told me how to make them. And then I said "Well, can you email me the recipe?" That's when she finally referred me to the internet. And she also said she'd email me the recipe, which she did.
There's just something about asking mom for her recipes that makes them more important. Especially if you don't talk to your mother often. I just never have anything to talk about, so I find a small excuse to give her that connection, because she seriously wants me to talk talk talk talk, and I just don't, when I call her. So the recipe thing helps. Besides, Mother is always right, and so if the online stuff doesn't work, mom's will. It's been able to stand the test of time. I've learned that very quickly after college.
I should probably find time to tell my mom that she was right. . . I'll think of some way to tell her for Christmas. hah!
Moving on, again.
I also made a pretty scrumptious Pumpkin Pie, which I stepped in and made for someone who was sick, and said she couldn't make it(But she made it anyway, and she just didn't want to make anyone else sick by cooking... which, I guess, was nice). She sent me a recipe, too, but I found another on the internet, and I took up the challenge of making my own pie crust, too, so that was also accidentally awesome.
So, for the recipes.
This Casserole was convenient for me, and I had to figure out how to make it so, because I didn't want to make the whole casserole at the house, right after work, when we were already supposed to be eating. I had a brilliant idea to look up Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casseroles, and I ran with that.
Accidentally Awesome Streuseled Sweet Potato Crock Pot Casserole
Accidentally Awesome Streuseled Sweet Potato Crock Pot Casserole
(AASSPCPC for short... or just Sweet Potato Casserole is cool too, I guess. Whatever.)
STREUSEL:
- 1/2 cup All-Purpose Flour
- 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Chilled butter, broken or cut into small pieces
- Chopped or Whole Pecans
- Marshmallows (I used small ones)
Combine Flour and Sugar in a food processor(I just used a Smoothie Maker), and pulse to combine. Add chilled butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. This mixture will be spread over the top of your Sweet Potatoes and sprinkled evenly with chopped or whole pecans and marshmallows(One layer of each).
SWEET POTATOES:
- 3 Large Sweet Potatoes (also known as Yams)
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
- 1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
- 1 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
(I did make the mistake of using two EXTRA Large Yams and a medium-ish sized one. I should have just bought three huge yams and gone with it. This mixture turned out to be a little too much seasoning because of the ratio, but I lived. They were still yummy.)
I put my yams in the oven for about an hour and a half at 350 degrees. I did poke them after 45 and 60 minutes with a fork to see if they were soft enough. The point is that you want to be able to mash them easily with a potato masher. I noticed that they were done when I checked them for the last time and they had started to "bleed" their juices from the fork pokes. I could have left them in just a little longer, but I was getting impatient.
Once I peeled their skins off (Careful! They're HOT! And yes, I did this with my clean fingers), I put them in my crock pot, mashed them a bit to avoid being splattered or puffed on by the next ingredients, then added the honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg, then mashed them all together until everything was visibly evenly distributed. Once that was all set, I evened the potato mixture out, sprinkled my streusel over top, then pecans and finally marshmallows, and then I was able to put it in the fridge for the next day.
Now, you could certainly cook this right away. Ain't no shame in that. But I had to prepare this for dinner the next night, and had no time during the day to do so. I LOVE fresh food, and this was the best way I could make all of this as fresh as possible. So the next day, I took my Casserole to work, and about three hours before I was off, I plugged the Casserole up, turned it to High, and let it sit while I continued to do Bra fittings and straighten panties. (Oh, you didn't know I am a Bra Specialist at Victoria's Secret? Oh, well, I am. So... There's that.)
From work, I took this to the house, plugged it back into the wall for a little while longer, and while it was being served, and then we ate it. Scrumdiddilyumptious, I must say!
In Preparation for Black Friday, I had devised a secondary preparation for this dish. This time, I was wiser and used three huge yams, but I cut them in half to test and see if this would A.) help them cook faster, and 2.) make them easier to prepare when smushing. :) I will be sharing this dish with my lovely ladies at Victoria's Secret (We are opening at 6 am), and perhaps I'll also share with my ladies at Bare Minerals, if there's any left over! This is going to be a 15 hour work day for me(factoring in my breaks), so you can bet that I'll be helping myself to plenty!
In Preparation for Black Friday, I had devised a secondary preparation for this dish. This time, I was wiser and used three huge yams, but I cut them in half to test and see if this would A.) help them cook faster, and 2.) make them easier to prepare when smushing. :) I will be sharing this dish with my lovely ladies at Victoria's Secret (We are opening at 6 am), and perhaps I'll also share with my ladies at Bare Minerals, if there's any left over! This is going to be a 15 hour work day for me(factoring in my breaks), so you can bet that I'll be helping myself to plenty!
Pumpkin Pie
You must follow the instructions for the crust IN ORDER. Otherwise, you'll have a glob of flour-y shortening in your hands, and you'll wish you had an automatic soap dispenser so you didn't get the shortening all over the head of the soap. I got this recipe from The Food Network
- 1 3/4 Cups All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Teaspoons Sugar
- 6 Tablespoons Cold, Unsalted butter, diced into small pieces
- 1/4 Cup Shortening
- 6, 7, or 8 tablespoons, ice water
In a large bowl, mix Flour, Salt, and Sugar until well combined. Using CLEAN HANDS, add the butter and toss the mixture until just coated. Rub the butter between thumb and forefingers gently to incorporate into the flour mixture. Do this until the butter is in dime sized pieces and would come together in quarter-sized clumps when squeezed in your palm. Add shortening and toss until just coated in flour, then rub into flour mixture until it forms into pearl-sized pieces(There may be bigger chunks - that's ok), and it'll come together in fist-sized clumps when squeezed.
Drizzle in ice water, one tablespoon at a time, while raking through the mixture until it's just moistened. Continue until it comes together. The dough is moist enough when it is moistened through but it's not wet when pressed. Don't overwork it, or it will become tough.
While rotating the bowl with one hand, push the dough between the other palm and side of the bowl to gather into a ball. put it into a piece of plastic wrap and press it into a flat disk before enclosing it int the wrap an dplacing in the refrigerator (Usually back, bottom shelf) for at least 30 minutes before rolling out and forming into a crust. This is where I mashed and seasoned my casserole, so this time could be spent making another recipe!
PIE
- 2 Cups Pumpkin Puree
- 1 1/2 Cup heavy Cream
- 1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar
- 1/3 Cup White Sugar
- 2 Eggs Plus the yolk of a third*
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground nutmeg
**You can also add:
- 1 Teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 Teaspoon ground cardamon
-1/2 Teaspoon Lemon Zest
*It was 12 am when I made this, and so I accidentally switched it up and did two eggs and the WHITE of a third, but it tastes delicious, so I don't know what that would change, but I doubt it will change much.
Mix Sugars, Salt, and Spices in a bowl. Beat the eggs and add. Stir in Pumpkin Puree. Stir in Creme. Whisk all together until well combined. Pour into a pie shell and bake at 425 for 15 minutes. Then reduce temperature and bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, or until a knife comes out from the center, cleanly. The pie will be puffed up a bit from the leavening of the eggs, but it will deflate while it cools.
I baked mine and put it in the fridge, then popped it in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes at my final location.
So that's it. I stayed up until about 2 am, making all this. Everyone was so stuffed from the main course that I got to take most of my pie home because they couldn't fit in dessert, so I got to keep some of my delicious food!
Hope you enjoy!
