Fall Foodie!

If I had to pick a favorite season, it would be fall.  Perhaps because in Oklahoma spring means getting in your tornado shelter daily, summer means if you go outside you will get scorched, and winter means the if you go outside the wind will blow your face off.  All good reasons to like fall. Other reasons to like fall would include pumpkin lattes, apple cider, and the pumpkin spice m&ms I discovered the other day (where have those been all my life?), I could go on all day.

Halloween and Thanksgiving are my absolute favorite.  I get the bug to cook and bake all sorts of treats around this time.  I had a roommate in college, Michelina, and the girl could not brew a cup of coffee if a gun was to her head, but man she could bake.  During the holidays we would stay up all night making pumpkin rolls, Halloween cookies, and drinking pumpkin lattes.  Whoever put a Starbucks right outside our apartment complex must have known we lived there and could keep them in business.  Michelina would grab two lattes and all the sugar sprinkles she could find.  She would turn on fun dance music, start the cookies and I would whip us up dinner.  To stick with the fall theme I would often bake up some sweet potatoes.  I sometimes feel like the sweet potato gets overlooked as a side dish.  They are nutritious (good source of vitamins and potassium) and can be just as versatile as a white potato.  I like to roast them, make soup out of them, turn them into french fries, and in this recipe, I bake them and stuff them with a honey pecan butter.  They pair great with chicken or even with a grilled steak!  Try them and see for yourself!  Happy fall!  Love as Always, "Big K"

 

Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Honey Pecan Butter

Serves 4 Potatoes

4       Each      Large Sweet Potatoes

1       Tbs        Olive Oil

1       Tsp        Salt

For the Butter:

2       Sticks    Butter, Softened

1/2    Cup       Chopped Pecans

1/4    Cup       Honey

2       Tsp       Cinnamon

1/2    Tsp       Salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  While heating throw butter, pecans, honey, cinnamon, and salt in a small mixing bowl.  Stir together until well incorporated.  Set aside.  Drizzle your potatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.  When your oven is preheated, pop your potatoes in for about 45 minutes.  This depends on the size of your potato.  If they are fairly small, they will take less time.  If they are ginormous, they will take more time.  When they are tender to the poke of a fork, they are ready.  Let them cool for about five minutes.  Slice them open and fill them evenly with the butter.  This was a little more butter than I needed, so I just put the extra in the fridge for a later use.  Serve right away.  Love as Always, "Big K"

Big K's Tips:

*  I cut my sweet potato in a zig zag pattern.  Then gently press both ends of the potato to press it open .  It leaves extra space for more delicious butter!!

*  This butter is fantastic on pancakes, waffles, or toast also!  So if it makes more than you need save it for another use!