Crock Pot Sweet Potato Casserole

For Thanksgiving this year, I am trying a crockpot version of my Sweet Potato Casserole. I made up the filling last night, so it could site overnight in the refrigerator before I cooked it.

Ingredients:

Filling:

• 7 pounds sweet potatoes (6-8 Medium sweet potatoes, or two ~2.5 pound cans)
• 4 Tbl unsalted butter, melted (optional - less rich without)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 Tbl vanilla extract
• 4 tsp juice from 1 lemon (or zest and juice from one whole lime)
• 2 eggs
• 12 ounces evaporated milk (top of with milk if needed)
• 4 Tablespoons brown sugar (can adjust to your taste)

Topping:

• 3/4 cup pecan pieces
• 2/3 cup brown sugar lightly packed
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup butter melted




Instructions:

1. As needed, roast sweet potatoes.
   * Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400°.
   * Poke sweet potatoes several times with paring knife and  space evenly on rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil.
   * Bake potatoes, turning them once, until they are very  tender and can be squeezed easily with tongs, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (or 45 minutes for small sweet potatoes).]
   * Remove potatoes from oven and cut in half lengthwise to let steam escape; cool at least 10 minutes.
   * Reduce oven temperature to 375°. Once potatoes have cooled slightly, use spoon to scoop flesh into large bowl; you should have about 8 cups. Transfer half of potato flesh to food processor.
   * Using rubber spatula, break remaining potato flesh in bowl into coarse 1-inch chunks.
2. Put about half of the sweet potatoes into food processor.  
3. Add (melted butter), salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, and lemon juice to food processor and process until smooth, about 20 seconds. 
4. Taste for sweetness, then add up to 4 Tbl brown sugar. 
5. Add in eggs.  With processor running, pour evaporated milk through feed tube and process until blended, about 20 seconds.
6. Gently stir smooth sweet potatoes into large bowl with the remaining potato pieces.
7. Optional - Cover, and store overnight in the refrigerator.
8. Spoon sweet potatoes into a six quart or larger crockpot.
9. Stir together all of the topping ingredients. Spread the topping mixture evenly on top of the sweet potatoes.
10. Bake on low in crockpot for 3 to 4 hours.
      

Carole's Notes:

This is a less sweet casserole with some hints of other flavors. The recipe is lightly adapted from the earlier Sweet Potato Casserole,