Name: Southern Sweet Potato Pie
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 4 h 5 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 unbaked 9-inch pie crust, homemade or store-bought; 2 lb sweet potatoes (about 3 medium); ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened; ¾ cup granulated sugar; ¼ cup packed light brown sugar; ½ cup evaporated milk; 2 large eggs, room temperature; 1 tsp vanilla extract; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg; ¼ tsp kosher salt

Southern Sweet Potato Pie

Pumpkin pie gets the magazine covers, but around here sweet potato pie is the one people fight over. Mashing the potatoes with the butter while they are still hot is what makes the filling smooth — and beating it hard with a mixer pulls out any stringy fibers so you do not have to strain it.

Prep

20 min

Cook

1 hr

Boil

45 min

Cool / chill

2 hr

Total

4 hr 5 min

Serves

Level

Easy

Method

Cook the sweet potatoesBoil the whole, unpeeled sweet potatoes in a large pot of water for 40–50 minutes, until a knife slides through easily. Drain and cool just enough to handle.
Mash with butterHeat the oven to 350°F. Peel the warm potatoes into a large bowl — you need about 2 cups. Add the butter and mash until melted and smooth.
Beat the fillingAdd both sugars, the evaporated milk, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Beat with an electric mixer on medium for 2 minutes until very smooth. Wipe away any fibers that collect on the beaters.
FillFit the crust into a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edge. Pour in the filling and smooth the top.
BakeBake 55–60 minutes, until the edges are set and the center jiggles only slightly. Cover the crust edge with foil if it browns too fast.
CoolCool on a rack at least 2 hours before slicing. Serve at room temperature or chilled, with whipped cream.