Bourbon Sweet Potatoes Recipe

This Nashville-inspired sweet potato dish fits in fine on the holiday table, showcasing the simplicity of sweet potatoes dressed up with bourbon. The inspiration for this pairing comes from a 1979 collection of recipes called Nashville: 200 Years of Hospitality, a collaboration by the Tennessee Federation of Women’s Clubs, Inc.

Ingredients:

• 4 pounds sweet potatoes
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup bourbon
• ⅓ cup orange juice
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• ¼ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¾ cup pecan halves

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 2:
Peel, wash, and quarter the sweet potatoes. Place them in a stockpot, add enough water to cover them by 2 inches, and bring them to a boil. Continue boiling them until they are fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and transfer them to a large bowl.

Step 3:
Add the butter, cream, bourbon, orange juice, orange zest, brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg, and mash everything together with a potato masher or an electric mixer. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into a casserole dish, and top it with pecan halves. Bake it for 30 minutes.