Only a Southerner, inheritor of the infamous Southern sweet tooth, would add massive quantities of butter and sugar to sweet potatoes and still regard it as a vegetable. Add a shot of bourbon? No problem.
4 to 6 sweet potatoes (peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch (12-mm) thick rounds)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter (plus more for the baking dish)
1/2 cup bourbon
2 tablespoons sorghum or maple syrup
Categories
Sides
Cuisine
Southern
Steps
Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Butter an ovenproof gratin or casserole dish.
Arrange the sweet potato slices in the prepared baking dish and season generously with salt and pepper.
In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, butter, bourbon, and syrup, and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. As soon as the sauce begins to boil, pour it over the sweet potatoes.
Bake the casserole, turning the sweet potatoes and spooning the liquid over the top occasionally, until the sweet potatoes are tender, 45 to 60 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 501 kcal
Carbohydrates: 79 g
Protein: 4 g
Fat: 12 g
Saturated Fat: 8 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 32 mg
Sodium: 145 mg
Sugar: 42 g
Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
Reviews
Valerie Kennon on 2026-03-03 (5 stars): This is the sweet potato recipe that had even the so-called non-sweet potato lovers licking their lips. Have you heard of a "hug in a mug"? This is seduction in a casserole dish! One serving? Be still, my heart—I think not! I’ve never seen so many lingering looks at any sweet potato dish before. It goes together easily, and the ingredients are relatively inexpensive. What more could you ask for?
gayle on 2023-01-10 (5 stars): I did, as you suggested, and kept the sauce separated until cook time but forgot to take a pic until they'd been served. These were the BEST sweet potatoes I've ever eaten! And the party crowd thought so too. As we started to leave, I went to collect my dish and saw there were about 3 slices left. I reached to pack it up and the hostess said - oh please don't take the potatoes! :):):) Yeah, they were THAT good!
Matt G on 2021-10-09 (5 stars): This recipe is outstanding. I’ve made it 3 or 4 times with yams and recommend three additional steps:
- After baking, mash the sweet potatoes (or yams) or pass them through a potato ricer.
- Mix the mash with any remaining liquid from the pan.
- Finally, blend in 1 more tablespoon of bourbon.
Tiffany S. on 2020-04-03 (4 stars): These turned out great! A lot of sweet potato recipes come loaded with too much extra sweetness. This recipe had plenty of sweetness without being overbearing and also had a great kick.
Angee P. on 2020-03-03 (5 stars): Love sweet potatoes done this way! They were absolutely delicious ? it definitely was the recipe, but it didn’t hurt that the bourbon was supplied by my brother who owns a bar and decided 100 proof was the way to go. I had to cut back on that amount...but boy oh boy, the sweet potatoes were yummy...and I slept well that night ?
Maria on 2018-05-05 (5 stars): I followed this exact recipe and the results were outstanding. I didn't have enough time to cut the sweet potatoes as indicated so, I cut them smaller, cooked them for 30 minutes and the results were outstanding! Definitely a keeper.
Sofia on 2011-11-25 (5 stars): Decided to try this recipe yesterday for our Thanksgiving dinner. Most of us here at home are not big sweet potatoes fans, yet all I have to say is that this recipe may have big the hit of dinner. Everyone absolutely loved them and it was the first dish that fully disappeared.
