Holiday Recipes: Sweet Potatoes and Broccoli Casseroles

I wanted to share a couple of our favorite holiday staples with you that are two dishes that I make for both Thanksgiving and Christmas.  

Sweet Potato Casserole (compliments of my good friend and coworker Kim a couple of years ago)

Ingredients
:

2-40oz canned yams, drained and rinsed
 (I made a double recipe, so there is extra in the picture)

1 cup sugar


1 stick of butter


2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg


1/2 teaspoon cinnamon


1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/3 cup half and half



Topping:

1/3 cup melted butter


1 cup light brown sugar


1/2 cup flour


1 cup chopped pecans

I put the drained yams, sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a mixer and mix together.  Add half and half, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, gently mix until well blended.  Pour into a greased 9x13 cake pan.  To make the topping mix brown sugar, flour, and melted butter in a small bowl, add pecans.  Cover with topping by just sprinkling the mixture over the potatoes like show in the picture below.  Bake on 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

 Broccoli Casserole (a favorite of our family and one my mom has made as long as I can remember)

Ingredients:

2 bunches of broccoli (I've started using 2-3 bags of steamer broccoli florets)

3 cups cheddar cheese

2 cans of cream of mushroom soup

milk

1 sleeve of ritz or town house crackers

Steam broccoli, pour into a greased casserole dish.  In a medium saucepan heat soup and cheese over medium heat until warm and melted and mix together.  I use a little milk to keep it from being so thick and easier to pour.  Pour sauce over broccoli and cover with crushed crackers.  Bake on 400 for 30-40 minutes until warm and bubbly throughout.  (I do not have a picture of this finished, I completely forgot to take one, but it is SO GOOD you will not regret making it!)