Kiss the Cook: Sweet potatoes and ham in casserole bliss

Recently, my friend Dave and I attended a Penn State football game. During the tailgating before the game, we were talking about food, of course.

Dave spent some time in the south and we started talking about favorite foods, like grits, gumbo and sweet potato casserole — foods I associate with the south.

Since I love sweet potatoes and easy-to-make comfort foods, I was inspired to try a new casserole dish.

Below is the recipe for a simple sweet potato and ham casserole. It’s a great comfort food that seems to fit in well as fall approaches and the days get colder.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and don’t forget to share it with your friends.

Sweet Potato and Ham Delight
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 45 minutes
Servings: 6-8

Ingredients:
2 cups milk
1 tbs. chopped onion
2 bay leaves
3 whole cloves
1 tbs. diced celery with leaves
4 tbs. butter
6 tbs. flour
2 cups diced cooked ham (I used smoked)
Salt to taste
2 cups cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
3 tbs. pecans (chopped)

Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F
2. Heat milk slowly with onions, bay leaves, cloves and celery, do not boil, stir often and cook about 2 minutes once the milk heats up before straining the milk to remove the onions, bay leaves, cloves and celery.
3. In a sauce pan, melt the butter and stir in the flour a tablespoon at a tim. Gradually, add the hot milk and cook over low heat, constantly stir this mixture until thick and smooth.
4. Add the ham and salt. Pour this mixture into a casserole baking dish, add the sweet potatoes evenly on top of this mixture, no need to stir.
5. Sprinkle the pecans over the top and bake at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Do you have a great recipe to share? Let me know in the comments below!