Shop Smart… and Sweet

The Thanksgiving sales are in full force at the Grocery store. If you haven’t started your shopping already, now is a good time. Many of these seasonal items that tend to go fast, chopped pecans, condensed milk, canned pumpkin, canned cranberry sauce, refrigerated pie crust ($0.50 off coupon, now at coupons.com) have a long shelf life and can be easily purchased ahead. You can freeze fresh cranberries until you need them for your recipes.

You will give yourself thanks next week if you have everything you need, or at least most of your list out of the way, freeing up more time for cooking and enjoying your family.

While you’re there, grab a few sweet potatoes to add the following casserole to your day. We love this recipe because it is fluffy and sweet, and uses ingredients you are likely to have on hand.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2/3 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a medium-sized baking dish. In a large bowl, mix together mashed sweet potatoes, 1/2 cup butter, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Spread sweet potato mixture into the prepared baking dish. In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and flour. Cut in 1/3 cup butter until mixture is crumbly, then stir in pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over the sweet potatoes. Bake for 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden brown.