Paula Dean's 'Ol Number 7 Yams

This is a must have every Thanksgiving.  It is our favorite way to eat sweet potatoes.  Even my pickiest kids love it. 

'Ol No. 7 Yams

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen

4 large sweet potatoes 

3 cups water 

1 1/2 cups brown sugar 

4 tablespoons butter 

1 (3 to 4-inch) cinnamon stick 

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg 

1/3 cup bourbon (recommended: No. 7 Jack Daniels) *

1 long strip orange peel

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Wash and dry sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft to the touch. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly then remove skin from potatoes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F. 

While the potatoes are baking, combine remaining ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 to 45 minutes until sauce is slightly thickened. 

Slice the potatoes 1/2-inch thick into a medium casserole dish. Pour syrup over them and return to the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. 

* Instead of JD we have also used spiced rum, and it turned out just as good. 

Hannah's Mock Pumpkin Pie

For some reason we were blessed with a surplus of 29 oz cans of yams in syrup.  Someone gave us a box of them last year.  Don't get me wrong.  I am a huge sweet potato and yam fan.  I generally eat them baked or in soups though.  So I was left with wondering what to do with all these canned yams in syrup. 

I gave my 11 year old daughter, Hannah, the idea and she went with it.  She wanted Pumpkin Pie, and it turned out amazing.  

2 eggs

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 can (29 oz) yams in syrup

1 can evaporated milk

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 450°

Drain the yams; discard the syrup.  Mash the yams until smooth.  Mix in the flour, salt, sugar, and spices.  Mix in the slightly beaten egg, then slowly add the evaporated milk, mixing until well blended. Pour the batter into the unbaked pie shell.

Bake at 450° for 10 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 325° and continue baking pie for an additional 30 minutes or until a knife inserted into the mixture comes out clean.