Hello! What’s Thanksgiving without sweet potato casserole?

I sent my friend Patricia a message asking for her recipe and right away she sent it. You are the best Patricia. I love having friends like Patricia. I try and keep my Thanksgiving Day recipes simple as not to work so hard you don’t enjoy Thanksgiving.

My favorite girl, Brandy, always cooks the turkey and I do the ham. Brandy is hosting our Thanksgiving Day dinner this year as Taylor Ann, who loves to host our dinners, is expecting a new baby plus she is hosting a dinner the next day. So, she says next year is hers. Taylor Ann is a great cook, a great host and has lot of room for this big family of ours. Our family is so blessed this year with two new babies on the way. We will have one blessing three days before Thanksgiving. Abby is scheduled for Nov. 20. So, instead of passing me the turkey, pass me the baby so I can love all over her. Who needs to eat when you can hold a newborn baby.

Please send me your holiday recipes and I will put you in the kitchen with Sharon. Send the recipes to [email protected] or call me at 937-393-3456. Have a great week a enjoy this great recipe.

Happy Thanksgiving and don’t forget to check in on your neighbors!

SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

Ingredients

2 pounds fresh sweet potatoes

6 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted

¼ cup milk

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

3 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees, and gather ingredients. Line a sheet pan with foil and place the sweet potatoes on it. Prick them with a fork and then bake for 40-50 minutes, depending on their size. Test with a fork to ensure they’re done. Their skins will start to collapse when they’re soft. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven.

Lower the oven temp to 350 degrees and let the sweet potatoes cool for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, vanilla and salt.

Peel the sweet potatoes and add them to the bowl. Stir and mash everything together to combine. Finally, stir in the egg.

Spread the mixture into a small 20-ounce (0.6L) baking dish, and bake for 20 minutes.

Remove the baking dish, scatter the marshmallows on top, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, until the marshmallows toast and become lightly golden brown. Serve immediately.

Sharon Hughes is the advertising manager at The Times-Gazette. She is also a mother, grandmother and chef.