Thanksgiving Countdown, episode 5.

Today's Thanksgiving tidbit come from Meredith over at Just Lovely.

Meredith is another of my sweet girlfriends from way back in the Las Vegas days.

We're both Utah girls now, and I'm not going pretend I'm not jealous of her adorable new lifestyle blog.

It's a must read...and this sweet potato dish is a must-make, for sure.

Welcome, Meredith!

I love sweet potatoes. There's a chance I could be quite happy living on nothing else but the sweet potato. Really. Luckily, it's an integral part of the upcoming holiday season. To me, Thanksgiving just wouldn't seem complete without a side dish of this orange-hued tuber.

{image via Make Life Delicious}

I received the following recipe from a good friend - it was originally her grandmother's creation. The ingredients add up to something lucious and sinful. But that's what Thanksgiving was made for, right? Well, maybe not...but it's a pretty nice side product of evolution. This year I'm thankful for family, home and the sweet potato. You?

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 cups cooked sweet potatoes

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 stick butter

2 teaspoons cinnamon

Topping:

1 stick butter

1 cup pecans, coursely chopped

1 cup coconut, scant

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

mini marshmallows, optional

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375*. In a large bowl, mash sweet potatoes until smooth. Add sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla, butter and cinnamon and mix to combine. Pour into a 9x13 pan and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine all topping ingredients. Sprinkle over sweet potato mash. Add a scattering of mini marshmallows, if desired. Bake in oven for 30 minutes, until topping is toasty and delicious.