ANOTHER GREAT COUNTRY COOK

Born Diana Ellen Judd in Ashland, Kentucky, Naomi Judd is one of Country Music’s all-time greats.   A singer, song writer, author and actress, she is also a great mother (daughters Wynonna and Ashley) and a fabulous cook.  In fact, she wrote one of my best and most-used cookbooks (Naomi's Home Companion: A Treasury of Favorite Recipes, Food for Thought and Country Wit and Wisdom) .  I’d give anything if she’d write another cookbook!

 

 

Here is a recipe Naomi for a beautiful Thanksgiving casserole that you’re sure to enjoy.

NAOMI JUDD’S SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE

"My mama was a cook on a riverboat in Mississippi. My mom knows her way around the kitchen. First of all, her grandmother, my great-grandmother, owned a little restaurant in our town. We lived in a one Dairy Queen kinda town, Ashland, Kentucky. The Judd family traditional holiday dinner is all made from scratch, and I think if I didn't make my Sweet Potato Casserole, Wynonna and Ashley would think they were orphans. They’d walk into the woods and never be heard from again… This is our traditional recipe" – Naomi

3 cups mashed sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds of sweet potatoes)
1/2  cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2  cup milk
1/2  stick or ¼ cup butter, melted
1/2  teaspoon salt
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1/2  cup packed light brown sugar
1/2  cup chopped walnuts, pecans, or other nuts
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup butter

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a shallow 2-quart casserole.

In a medium bowl, stir together the potatoes, granulated sugar, eggs, milk, butter, salt, and vanilla and scrape the mixture into the prepared casserole.

Making the topping: In a small bowl, stir together the brown sugar, nuts, and flour. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Dot with the butter. Place the casserole on a baking sheet.

Bake, uncovered, in the 350 degree oven until heated through and lightly browned, 30 to 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM OUR FAMILY, TOO!

To Grandmother's House We Go -- Thanksgiving in Florida, 1962

Daddy carving the Turkey -- 1964 and 1965

Me and my sister Linda

Steve takes on the Thanksgiving Turkey