I love sweet potatoes. I mean I really love sweet potatoes. That hasn’t always been the case. There was an unfortunate incident that occurred when I was a very young child that created a sweet potato aversion that lasted well into my adulthood. It saddens me to think of all the wonderful sweet potato eating opportunities I missed. Life’s cruel sometimes.
The incident took place in my grandmother’s tiny little kitchen in their Cotton Mill Village house in Geneva, Alabama. She was making candied yams, which are really sweet potatoes. Southerners have been confused about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams for years. Some of us are still confused about them. The canned potatoes found on grocery stores shelves labeled as yams are not yams at all. They’re sweet potatoes. Anyway, she was making candied sweet potatoes from the canned potatoes that called themselves yams. She thought she was making candied yams. She called then candied yams. I was sitting at the kitchen table while she was putting the finishing touches on the dish of candies yams which were actually sweet potatoes. The salt shaker on the table caught my attention. For reasons I can’t even begin to understand, much less explain, I poured some of the salt in my hand and started licking it. Perhaps I had delusions of being a deer. Distracted by her delightful sweet potato (a.k.a yam) casserole, Granny didn’t see me. I remember hearing her say how she couldn’t wait to get this done as I kept licking more and more salt. In a relatively short period, I became intimately aware of the negative gastrointestinal effects of too much salt. I felt ill. Very ill. My increasing level of nausea coincided perfectly with Granny’s increasing level of enthusiasm over her candied yam (a.k.a. sweet potato dish). Something told me I shouldn’t tell Granny what I’d done. Doing something I shouldn’t caused me to get sick. Just as I felt I needed to run out the kitchen door to outside, she proudly announced that the dish was done and was cooling some on a spoon for me to taste. Oh, Lord. I may have been a young child, but I was wise enough to know that I had created a world of trouble for myself. There was nothing for me to do than pretend I wasn’t sick as a dog and taste the sweet potato/yam thing; the really sweet and rich sweet potato/yam thing that was just about to land right on top of a mountain of salt in my fragile stomach.
It was an unpleasant experience. The details don’t really matter. And there were lots of details. The details just went on and on.
Many years passed before I could tolerate the thought of sweet potatoes. Oddly enough, I don’t remember the same aversion to salt. Thank my lucky stars that I finally got over my little sweet potato thing. I can eat them everyday now and never get tired of them. A baked sweet potato is one of the best things in the world. They’re so good I eat them plain.
I never told my Granny about the salt story. That will be one of the many stories I have to tell her when I see her again in Heaven. I’ll tell her while we eat sweet potatoes.
Y’all come see us!
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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes deserve a spot at the table all year round. These potatoes can be made ahead and frozen. When ready for use, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator, then heat. The cream cheese adds just a slight tang that really adds dimension to this dish. The filling isn’t so sweet that you can’t add honey or cinnamon sugar before eating.
Makes 12 servings
6 medium sweet potatoes
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon honey, optional
Wash sweet potatoes and place on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until soft.
Cream together cream cheese, butter and brown sugar. Add cinnamon, salt and vanilla. Mix well. After the potatoes are done and are cool enough to handle, split them open and scoop out the pulp, being careful not to tear the skins, and add it to the cream cheese mixture. Mix well. Taste for sweetness and add honey if needed.
I leave a thin layer of the sweet potatoes in the shell to give it more structure.
Refill the shells with the sweet potato mixture. Reheat for 5 to 10 minutes on 350 degrees or until the potatoes are thoroughly heated. Serve with added butter, honey and cinnamon sugar.
If the potatoes aren’t going to be used right away, place them on a cookie sheet unwrapped and on a shelf in the freezer overnight.
Once they are frozen solid, they can be wrapped or placed in individual freezer bags and kept in the freezer until needed. When ready to use, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight. Reheat at 350 degrees until hot.
Here’s some more sweet potato recipes you might like:
Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cinnamon Honey Butter
Whole Wheat Sweet Potato Biscuits
Sweet Potato Pie with Meringue Topping
Beverly says
I also love, love, love sweet potatoes and will certainly be making these for my freezer. I made Sweet Potato Butter today and will post it the first of the week on my blog. You would love it. I haven’t made Apple Butter since I started making this years ago. Not to mention it’s much easier.
Jackie Garvin says
Beverly,
I will certainly be on the lookout for your sweet potato butter post! Have you had Pumpkin Butter? I can eat that by the spoonfuls. 🙂
Tamika Dunner says
These look divine! Great lesson learned at a young age, huh? I enjoy reading your posts! 🙂
Jackie Garvin says
Tamika,
If you love sweet potatoes,or yams, you’ll certainly loves these. I hope you try them! Thanks for reading. You are such a blessing to me! 🙂
Mary says
Have to admit my tummy was a little “wocky” just reading about your experience!! Glad you evenutally got over your dislike of sweet potatoes – because they are good anyway you fix them. Baked is best!!! Thanks for sharing.
Jackie Garvin says
Mary,
Thanks for reading and sharing your comments! 🙂
Mona says
I am a sweet potato lovin’ fool, and this recipe is going in my special good-stuff file. I already know I’m going to love it. If you’d like, my mother-in-law’s to-die-for recipe for an amazing sweet potato dish with coconut & pecan topping is something I can share. Just holler.
I had to laugh so hard, though, at the unfortunate incident from your childhood. Reminded me so much of what happened to me, also in my granny’s kitchen, at about the same age. It was summertime, and granny knew I loved root beer floats — so did she! — and one hot July day she made big ones for us. Mmmm, that was good. So good that I asked her if I could have another. Well, when it came to pleasing her grandkids, sometimes my gran was a little too much of a soft touch. She made me another tall, cold root beer float. Didn’t take long before, as you put it, there were a lot of details. I was one miserable little kid. Couldn’t even look at a root beer float for years … we’re talking well into adulthood. My granny felt so bad about that, but later (much later!) it kind of became a joke between us. Dang, I miss her. Once again, one of your stories has me convinced that our two grannies just have to be keeping company with each other in heaven.
Jackie Garvin says
Mona,
You made me laugh! Lord, the details. When we all get to Heaven, we are going to sit with our Grannies and have the best times, Mona!
I would love for you to share your MIL sweet potato dish! Thanks!
Jane Morrison Sellers says
Our good Lord surely knew what he was doing when he made the sweet potato! And there are few things finer than a baked sweet potato with a pat of rel butter!!
Jackie Garvin says
Jane,
He certainly did! It almost makes up for menopause! Almost. <3
Nancy Naigle says
I absolutely LOVE your stories.
Hug and happy taters (sweet or otherwise!!)
Nancy
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks so much, Nancy! Thanks for reading. 🙂
Jean says
Hi Jackie..it’s funny how things stay with us from our childhood. I don’t think i have seen this recipe before but you can rest assured that I am gonna make it. I usually have a Christmas party sit down dinner for my friends and I bet none of them have had this. What pray tell would some marshmallows on top at the last minute do for them? You will have to answer that as its your recipe. Thanks girl and have a wonderful weekend!
Jackie Garvin says
Jean,
This is a recipe that I developed. You could put a marshmallow topper on the potatoes or make a crumble out of brown sugar, flour, pecans cinnamon and butter. I kept from making the filling too sweet so you could had some honey or cinnamon sugar or even a topper if you’d like. I make a crumble topping for my sweet potato casserole. I hope you and your friends enjoy this great sweet potato dish. 🙂
Jean says
I have a recipe with that very topping….and I think your idea is better!
Thank you!
Jackie Garvin says
Jean,
If the crumble topping isn’t getting browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated , you might want to broil them for a tad bit.
Darlene says
I am not a fan of sweet potatoes. We never had them on Holidays or any other time when I was growing up. .But I do like Sweet Potato pie which I have made and it turned out really good.
Jackie Garvin says
Darlene,
Sweet Potato Pies are wonderful! They taste very similar to Pumpkin Pies. 🙂
Leigh says
I saw your blog listed on someone’s blog list and since I just harvested my own sweet potatoes the other day, I had to come visit. Thanks for the recipe. Looks delish.
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Leigh,
Welcome to Syrup and Biscuits! I hope you visit us again. Lucky you with growing your own sweet potatoes. I garden but have not tried sweet potatoes yet. Maybe I’ll do that in the spring. Do you plant yours in the ground? Several people here plant them in ice chests. 🙂
tipper says
Loved loved the story! I felt like I was there watching you lick the salt and thinking girl you’re gonna be sorry : ) I also love sweet potatoes! Oh and the whole yam vs. sweet potatoes-its the same here!
Jackie Garvin says
Tipper,
Thanks for the comment. I relived the whole salt things as I wrote the story. Man, I was sick!
We all get so confused about sweet potatoes vs yams. I had what was called a yam in Barbados once. I’m not sure it was really a yam. So, my impression is that the sweet potato vs yam confusion spans the globe. It’s not just us!
Shannon Palmer says
I had an unfortunate aversion to Peach cobbler for years due to stomach issues right after eating it now I love it again.
Jackie Garvin says
Shannon,
How horrible! I couldn’t imagine going years and not eating peach cobbler. Gosh, thank heavens you’re over that. Have you read my story about peaches? Here’s the link: http://wp.me/p1lazE-pT
Thanks for reading and commenting, Shannon! 🙂
Mamabug says
Found you over on Tipper’s blog, the Blind Pig and the acorn. Absolutely adore your blog! If it’s anything about good southern cooking, I’m in hog heaven! Will be back to read more very soon! Hugs!
Jackie Garvin says
Hi Mamabug!
Welcome home! I’m so glad you found us tucked away in our little corner of the world. Please consider subscribing to our blog and all new posts will be delivered directly to you email inbox. You will see the email subscription tab on the top right corner of the page.
I’m heading over to your blog now…..
Victoria B. says
Good Morning Jackie!
This recipe sounds great. Have you ever cooked sweet potatoes in the crock pot? It’s super easy: just wrap them in foil and put on low in the morning and they’re done by dinner time. I don’t think they’d work like that for your recipe because they’re more steamed vs. baked and the skin doesn’t crisp up, but it’s a lifesaver for working girls who like sweet potatoes but don’t have the time to bake them up at night.
I really love this blog – I found you through Pinterest but I keep coming back to check out other recipes and read your stories. The stories you add to your recipes are so wonderful. They really bring your recipes to life and are so delightful to read. I chuckled at this one and your past aversion to Sweet Potatoes. I had a similar experience as a child with a cheese omelette on a long road trip. I promise it was years before I could eat the combination of eggs and cheddar cheese in any form. Even now some 20 years later my stomach gets a little rumbly at the thought.
Have a great day!
Jackie Garvin says
Victoria,
I’ve never used the slow-cooker for sweet potatoes but that is a grand idea! I think cooking the sweet potatoes low and slow gives the sugars more of a chance to develop. I will definitely use your method for now on for baked sweet potatoes. You are correct that it wouldn’t work for Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes because the skins would be too soft. Thank you so much for sharing this great tip!
You’re sweet words mean more to me than you’ll ever know.
Welcome home!
Liz Gordon says
What a great idea! Never thought about a twice baked sweet potato! I have to tell ya- I just love your site! I’m a Northern girl born, but I’ve always had a lovin for the South and look forward to eventually getting myself down that way when I graduate from school. I found your site through Pinterest for Comeback Sauce (which I can’t wait to try out either) and I am just so sucked in to the great ideas you have! Thanks and look forward to seeing more in the future!
Jackie Garvin says
Liz,
I’m so happy you found us tucked away in our little corner of the world. Welcome home!
Good luck with your studies. I hope you can find your way down South. We would love to have you. 🙂
heyjude195430Jude says
Hey Jackie,
My Grandmother used to make the best sweet potato pie and I would eat so much…..that I would detail it up too. I still love the pie and regular sweet potatoes as well. Loved the story.
Jackie Garvin says
Thanks, Jude! I hope all is well with you.