Thanksgiving: Warm Family Traditions
Thanksgiving to me means love, family, food and wonderful memories.
Over the years as myself, sister Karen, and brothers Russell and Dennis, have moved away from home and raised our own families, there is one thing we can count on every other year when it is my family’s turn to get together for Thanksgiving: an epic gathering of grandparents, siblings and cousins to celebrate our love for each other and gratitude for our blessings.
For many years (since the family has gotten so big) my parents have rented large “cabins” up in Heber Valley, Utah where we have all joined for a weekend of eating, outdoor fun, and football. It’s organized chaos, but oh how we cherish these times together!
We all have our beloved Thanksgiving recipes we contribute to the feast. One of my favorites is Karen’s recipe for Whipped Yams. If it wasn’t for pecan pie, I would literally skip dessert and just eat the whipped yams! And leftovers? Oh yeah, clear the way because these are mine!
Respect the Yam!
Yams and sweet potatoes are somewhat maligned holiday foods. They are the ‘fruitcake’ of Thanksgiving. You have to serve them just to have something to make fun of because your Dad is the only one that will eat them. It’s tradition!
Not any more! With this yummy dish, whipped yams take their rightful place as one of the stars of the feast! It’s perfectly sweet to balance the savory flavors so prevalent in the main course.
Thanks Sis, for this wonderful holiday recipe I now make every year. Try it! And let me know how you liked it.
PrintWhipped Yams
A decadent dish that’s a perfect accompaniment for holiday meals! Personally, I like it for dessert and breakfast the next morning. (That is, if there’s any left.)
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hr
- Category: Side Dishes
- Method: Comfort Classics
Ingredients
For the Yams:
- 3 large Yams
- 1 c. Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 1/4 c. softened Butter
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
- 1/4 tsp. Nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp. Allspice
- 1/4 tsp. Ginger
- 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
- just a pinch or so of Salt if you like
For the Topping:
- 1/3 c. Butter, melted
- 1/3 c. Flour
- 1 c. Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon
Instructions
To make the Whipped Yams:
- Boil the yams until tender, let cool and remove skins.
- Combine and whip yams, sugar, eggs, softened butter, vanilla, nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cinnamon and salt.
- Spread into 9-10″ pie pan, glass baking dish, or 12 ” Dutch oven.
- Top mixture with melted butter.
- Mix flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon together, then sprinkle evenly over yam mixture.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (or longer if it’s chilled coming from refrigerator) in preheated 350 degree oven. Then serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- To cut some calories and fat, substitute applesauce for butter in whipped yam mixture.
- This is the perfect dish to make the day before, and put in the fridge.
- A doubled recipe fits thickly into a 9 x 13 pan.
Awwww shucks! That IS a dandy recipe. Thanks for the shout out. I love you…and whipped yams.
Sis it’s one of my favorites! Love you!