Bacon and onion add a savory balance to brown sugar and sweet potatoes in this delicious side dish. Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Pecans integrates flavors that work perfectly with a holiday menu while keeping it simple and nutritious enough to be welcome all year.
Holiday Favorites
This weekend I have been reviewing our Thanksgiving holiday. This year’s celebration was good in so many ways. We have much to be thankful for and the holiday itself was laid back and relaxing.
I have also been revisiting the wonderful dinner we shared. It continued to provide for us all weekend. One of my favorite things about Thanksgiving dinner is the leftovers. We all look forward to impromptu meals from the refrigerator accompanied by leftover Corn Salad or Southern Style Green Beans. And who doesn’t love a Turkey Sandwich made with delicious Cranberry Sauce?
That said, the sweet potatoes from this year’s Thanksgiving dinner may be the best of all. They were fantastic! I used a recipe that I cut out of a magazine several years ago. Though I missed the opportunity to post this recipe before Thanksgiving, I think it will be just as welcome served with a baked ham for a festive Christmas dinner or even a holiday brunch. So, I figure, better late than never!
Serving Sweet Potatoes Year Round
Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Pecans is a great side dish. It is pretty and bursts with nutrition. Some believe sweet potatoes are among the healthiest of vegetables. They are high in potassium, fiber, vitamin A and beta-carotene. They also contains vitamin C and calcium.
With that in mind, I have enjoyed this unusual recipe even more. Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Pecans takes this tasty vegetable in a different direction than the usual Thanksgiving side dish. It tames the hyper-sweetness of the usual casserole by balancing the savory elements of onion, bacon and chicken broth against of the brown sugar and the vegetable itself. I hope you like this side dish as much as I do.
Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Pecans
Course: Sides, VegetablesCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy10
servings10
minutes20
minutes30
minutesBacon and onion add a savory balance to brown sugar and sweet potatoes in this delicious side dish.
Ingredients
2 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1-inch chunks (about 8 cups)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons packed light-brown sugar
1/4 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Directions
- Cook the bacon in a large skillet until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels reserving 1 or 2 teaspoons of the bacon grease in the skillet. Add chopped onions and cook until translucent.
- Add the sweet potato chunks, chicken broth, water, salt and pepper to the skillet. Bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring occasionally for 5 or 6 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are crisp tender.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar over the sweet potatoes and simmer, stirring frequently and reducing the liquid for another 5 or 6 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and much of the liquid has evaporated. Crumble bacon across the top and stir it into the sweet potatoes along with the toasted pecan pieces.
- Serve and enjoy!
