Butterika Sweet Potatoes

Here's the thing: if you want to make your guests happy, then prepare this dish.

All the oohs and aahs at my Easter Dinner table were entirely focused on the Butterika Sweet Potatoes. Never mind the ham or the fancy chicken. The wild rice medley was completely overlooked.  Those sweet potatoes stole center stage. One man actually had tears of pleasure in his eyes.

This is actually my latest and greatest Thanksgiving recipe.  It was so good then and I just couldn't wait a whole nuther year to make it.  Last fall, I was unenthusiastic about the usual marshmallows on my yams and found inspiration at the Duluth Grill.  They have a special "Honeyrika" sauce they serve with crashed sweet potatoes.  So I experimented a little and came up with my own wiz-bang goo that turns ordinary roots into a wondrous carnival for your mouth.

These sweet potatoes are not particularly photogenic.  Don't hold this against them.  Plus I neglected to take snap a picture until those ravenous diners had already dived in.  By the end of the meal, this crock was nearly emptied out.  Leftovers taste good hot or cold.

The truth is, adding butter and heavy cream to anything makes it taste wonderful.  This is not rocket science, or even gourmet giftedness.  By the way, I only recommend you employ this recipe on special occasions -- or you yourself may start to look like a vat of heavy cream.  Clearly, this recipe stretches the boundaries of a whole foods, plant-based diet.  This is holiday food, meant for feasting.

Butterika Sweet Potatoes

an original recipe by Kelly Jo Vanderstelt

In a large pot, boil 8-10 Sweet Potatoes, whole and unpeeled, until you can pierce slightly  into them with a fork and the skin peels away easily.  They do not need to be entirely soft, or they will get too mushy when warmed later with the sauce.  Firm is better.  I estimate this taking between 12 and 20 minutes, depending on the size and freshness of your potatoes.

While potatoes cook, grab a small pan and make the sauce.

• Melt a Stick of Butter over medium heat.     Remove from heat and stir in:
• 1 Cup Brown Sugar
• 2 1/2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
• 2 Teaspoons Paprika
• 1 1/2 Teaspoons Cumin
• 1 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream

When potatoes are done, drain them and peel away the skins, slicing each sweet potato into 3/4" rounds.

Pour a couple of spoonfuls of sauce into a crock pot, then a layer of potatoes, then spoon a little sauce over the potatoes.  And so on and so forth, until everything is all used up.  Pour any remaining sauce over the top.

This can all be done a day ahead, if desired.

Heat through in crock pot on LOW for about 5-6 hours.

Serves 12.