Sweet Potato Pie Casserole

Sweet potato pie is my all time favorite dish of my mom's- from childhood, teenage years, college breaks - and now I make it in her memory.

This is her recipe, minus the eggs - it's actually a casserole, but we still called it pie. Maybe you're in for the filling, the topping or both, it's such perfection in my eyes and mouth.

I made a half batch yesterday for a vegan potluck (I'll post those photos soon), and had fun with the topping:

Sweet Potato Pie Casserole, serves many!

Ingredients:
-7-8 medium sized yams (I used half garnet and half jewel)
-1/2 cup vanilla or plain nondairy milk
-8 tablespoon vegan margarine (I use earth balance)

-2 “eggs”, if desired. I have used soy yogurt to make it creamier in the past, but it is not necessary to use them at all!
-1/2 cup organic sugar 
-1.5 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
-optional: teeny dash cinnamon, ½ tea. Maple extract

~Wash the potatoes and cut off skins. Cut into large pieces (half each tater), transfer to a large pot, cover with water and boil for 25 - 35 minutes, until tender/well pierce-able with a fork.

~Drain water, and add potatoes to large bowl. Mash well until smooth with a potato masher. Sweet potatoes are so creamy that an electric mixer is not needed.

~Preheat oven to 350F.

~Add the earth balance, which will melt quickly, and stir well with a spoon, or mash if need be. Then add the nondairy milk and the 'egg' if using and stir well. Lastly, stir in the sugar of choice, the vanilla and cinnamon, if using.

~Lightly grease a 9x13 casserole dish with a pat of earth balance, add spoon in the mashed goodness in an even layer.

Topping Ingredients:
-1/3 cup  brown sugar
-2/3 cup chopped pecans (big pieces are best) 
-2 teaspoons cinnamon
-1 teaspoon nutmeg
-3-4 tablespoons of  melted earth balance

-Option: Additional 1 cup of pecans

~Melt earth balance your desired way. Add this to the rest of the ingredients and stir well. Spread evenly onto top of casserole. **I added an additional layer of raw pecans on top**

~Bake for 40-45 minutes, uncovered, watching towards the end for burning. Let it cool down a bit before you serve!

* As you know, yams are naturally very sweet, so feel free to play with this amount.

I love reading menus, so I'd like to hear your thanksgiving plans, to those celebrating. This will be my 4th all-vegan thanksgiving, and I'm ridiculously looking forward to it.

Biscuits and Gravy
Steamed Green Beans
Balsamic Glazed Cremini mushrooms
Maple cranberry sauce (Thomas is making, I've never had homemade)
Tofurkey (basted in sparkling apple cider, garlic, thyme, braggs, rosemary)
Super Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato pie casserole (mini)
Pumpkin tofu pie
Apple crumb pie

After being teased about eating tofurkey on thanksgiving in the past and wondering what it actually was, I tried it for the first time last year and it was pretty great. I've been looking forward to having my own go at it for a year now~ The sparkling cider idea is inspired by Webly, who marinaded hers in pear cider last year - but that's her story to tell. I'm looking forward to the cranberry sauce, albeit I LOVE the canned (which also comes in organic, vegan varieties) but Thomas wants the 'pops'.
I'm probably forgetting something very obvious..