Bourbon Sweet Potatoes

October 22, 2015

Sweet potatoes and bourbon make good partners. The inspiration for this pairing comes from the 1979 cookbook called Nashville: 200 Years of Hospitality, a collection by the Tennessee Federation of Women’s Clubs, Inc. This sassed-up sweet potato dish fits in fine on the holiday table, showcasing the simplicity of sweet potatoes dressed up with butter, cream, bourbon, orange zest, and nutmeg—no sugary marshmallow necessary.

Ingredients

4 pounds sweet potatoes

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1⁄4 cup heavy cream

1⁄2 cup bourbon

1⁄3 cup orange juice

1 teaspoon orange zest

1⁄4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1⁄4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

3⁄4 cup pecan halves

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350F.

2. Peel, wash, and quarter sweet potatoes. Place in stockpot with enough water to cover them by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Continue boiling until fork-tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Drain and transfer to large bowl. Add butter, cream, bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg and mash everything together with potato masher or electric mixer. Spoon sweet potato mixture into casserole dish and top with pecan halves. Bake 30 minutes.

Recipes reprinted with permission from Nashville Eats by Jennifer Justus and Andrea Behrends. Published by Abrams Books, 2015.