Southern Sweet Potato Spoonbread Recipe

Serve With: A holiday meal - Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter

Prep Time: ~ 20 min for all prep
Cook Time: ~ 10 min for all cook times
Bake Time: ~ 1.75 hrs for all baking times
Yield: ~ 10 servings
Ingredients

3 Large Sweet Potatoes
1/3 Cup Yellow Cornmeal
3/4 Cup Flour
2 Cups Milk
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Cup Water
6 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/3 Cup Honey
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
4 Large Eggs
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Nutmeg
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves
1 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
1 Tsp Fine Sea Salt
Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.
2. Coat washed and scrubbed sweet potatoes with oil, and place in oven on an aluminum foil lined cookie sheet.
3. Bake for approximately 40 to 45 minutes, or until you they are soft enough to pierce a knife through. Let cool. Peel, and discard skins.
   * Tip: I like to do this the night before the holiday meal, then put them in the fridge overnight.
4. Reduce oven heat to 350 F.
5. In a medium saucepan over medium heat combine cornmeal, milk, 4 tbsp butter, brown sugar, spices, salt, and water. Cook, stirring, until slightly thickened, which will take approximately 10 min, then cool.
   * Tip: Step #5 can be done the night before as well. Just make sure you cover up the mixture with a piece of plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming on top in the fridge.
6. Coat a 2-quart baking dish with 2 tbsp of butter.
7. Place cornmeal mixture, sweet potatoes, flour, honey, maple syrup, eggs, and cream in a food processor or use a hand mixer, and process until smooth.
8. Pour blended mixture into buttered baking dish.
9. Bake until golden brown, ~ 45 min - 1 hr.
   * Tip: If spoonbread is browning too quickly, and you can't pull a knife out cleanly yet, cover it up loosely with aluminum foil for remainder of baking time. Also, you may turn down the oven 25 degrees or so for remainder of baking time.
10. Serve & Enjoy!

Recipe provided by The Omni Grove Park Inn Resort & Spa.