What's for dinner...

I'm back, as promised, with recipes.  If I weren't so lame I would take pictures.  But nothing is fully assembled.  The sweet potato part of the sweet potatoes is in the fridge waiting to be baked tomorrow morning.  The homemade pudding for the pie is in the fridge waiting to go in the pie shell.  I made my first homemade pie crust successfully this morning.  Pretty impressed with myself.

Without further ado, recipes.

Sammy's Sweet Potatoes
4-5 medium sweet potatoes
2 T butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar
1/2 c evaporated milk
2 eggs, beaten
Cook sweet potatoes, mash.  Add butter, salt, vanilla, sugar, milk, and eggs.  Mix together, pour into greased 9x13 baking dish.  Sprinkle topping on casserole.  Bake 35 min at 350.
Topping
1 c brown sugar
4 T butter
1 c chopped pecans
1/2 c flour
Combine ingredients, mix well.

Oh man, it's so good.  I can't wait to eat these tomorrow.

Chocolate Pie (from Betty Crocker, 1961)
*for a 9: pie
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 cocoa
3 T cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups whole milk
3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 T butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in saucepan.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils.  Boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat.  Gradually stir at least half of hot mixture into egg yolks.  Then blend into hot mixture in saucepan.  Boil 1 minute more, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  Blend in butter and vanilla.  Pour immediately into baked pie shell.  Finish with pie meringue.  Let cool at room temperature.  Or pie may be chilled thoroughly and topped with whipped cream.

I always put whipped cream on it.  Usually just Dream Whip.  You can use 2% or skim milk, but it's much more decadent with whole milk.  I always make it that way for the holidays.  It's so worth it.  I used to always use a silicone spatula with a wooden handle (thanks Paula Dean) to stir with.  Until I bought a silicone coated whisk.  Use a whisk.  It's the best way to make sure there are no lumps.  Since I've started using a whisk, my pudding has come out perfect every time.  You really do have to stir it the entire time you're cooking the pudding.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.  Anybody else make something new successfully?