Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

With the first major food holiday of the season, Thanksgiving, I thought a holiday themed recipe was called for.

I first made this dish for my contribution to a Thanksgiving I was invited to at a friends house last year, and unlike many of my recipes, my beloved grandmother did not have this in her collection. I got this one from one of the many (and I do mean many) cookbooks I've been adding to my collection. It makes a great side dish for any meal, but of course The Holidays is when it really shines.

Orange-Spiced Sweet Potatoes

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes (or yams), peeled and diced
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter or margarine (1 stick), cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel
• Juice from 1 medium orange
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)

1. Place sweet potatoes, brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange peel, orange juice, salt and vanilla in your crock-pot. Cover and cook on low for 4 hours or high for 2 hours, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Sprinkle with pecans before serving, if desired.
3. For an interesting variation, mash the potatoes, add 1/4 cup milk and sprinkle with a mixture of sugar and cinnamon before sprinkling with the chopped toasted pecans if desired.

I hope any of you who decided to try this dish, rather than the somewhat more traditional candied yams, find it as tasty as my friends and I did.

As always, eat and enjoy.