Whiskey-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

If you are looking for an additional side dish for Thanksgiving or Christmas, I think I have one you might like. We served this at our Thanksgiving this year and I was pleasantly surprised at how sweet and flavorful it was without all the extra calories. I had to pull the recipe out to prove it used agave syrup which I haven’t really cooked with before instead of a lot of brown sugar. I think I could have done without the cayenne pepper in it, but it didn’t ruin the dish for me. I loved the apples in there. As far as the cooking time the sweet potatoes could have gone a little longer so I would maybe cut them thinner then I had mine, but the apples came out perfect. I only use 3 sweet potatoes and 1 apple for an 8x8 baking dish.

If you want to make this in advance I think it would come out even better, because the sauce becomes thicker instead of watery looking when we served it right away.

Whiskey-Glazed Sweet Potatoes

(Adapted from Guy’s Big Bite)

 

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3 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 large)

1 cup pecans

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for preparing baking dish

3/4 cup agave syrup, preferably amber

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup whiskey

2 cups crisp apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into 1-inch pieces

 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

 

Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and cook the potatoes whole, do not pierce. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Lightly squeeze the potatoes - if they are soft, they are done. Let cool.

 

In a small sauté pan over high heat, add the pecans and lightly toast.

 

 

Add 4 tablespoons of butter, reduce the heat to medium, add the agave and spices, and allow to simmer for 4 to 5 minutes.

 

 

 

Add the whiskey and continue to simmer for 5 minutes more.

 

 

 

Peel the potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch slices.

 

 

 

Butter the bottom and sides of an 8 by 8-inch baking dish. Arrange the sweet potatoes, alternating with the apples.

 

 

 

Pour the whiskey-pecan mixture over the top and place in the oven.

 

 

 

Bake for 30 minutes, basting the top with the whiskey sauce once at 15 minutes.

Remove and serve immediately.