Fifty years ago, Mrs. C.D. Hamaker ‘s sweet potato recipe appeared in Cotton Country Collection. The cookbook by the Junior League of Monroe, Louisiana, is still in print and was honored by USA Today as one of the five best selling regional cookbooks in the U.S.
From her kitchen in Bastrop, Louisiana, the recipe has become legend and is a fixture on Thanksgiving tables all over the country. A good recipe can have a life beyond us… and help us recall sweet memories of loved ones. Most who grace their Thanksgiving table with this sweet potato casserole will ever know its origin, but we do. In this season of Thanksgiving, we give thanks to Mrs. Hamaker who shared her recipe with the world, and we think with smiles all around of her late grandson, Brooks, who was a friend to Malcolm and me.
Carol Palmer
Sweet Potato Casserole
Cotton Country Collection, Monroe, Louisiana
INGREDIENTS
3 cups sweet potatoes (about 4 good-sized ones)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/3 cup milk
Topping
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
ASSEMBLY
Casserole: Boil and mash potatoes. Mix in sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Put in 13 x 9 inch baking dish.
Topping: Melt butter and mix in remaining ingredients. Sprinkle on top of potato mixture. Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees. Serves 10-12.