Apricot-Pecan Sweet Potatoes

This is a wonderful sweet potato recipe with a little bit of preparation. You can use orange juice in place of the apricot nectar, which can be a little hard to find -- but the result is different and really makes the sweet potato pop! This is a recipe my Aunt Birdie gave me about ten years ago

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins
• Calories: 348 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 2 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup hot water
• ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup apricot nectar
• 5 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Step 2

Place the sweet potatoes into a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain and allow to steam dry for a minute or two.

Step 3

Mix together brown sugar, cornstarch, salt, cinnamon, apricot nectar, water, and orange peel in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. When the sauce is thick, stir in the butter and pecans. Place the sweet potato chunks into the prepared baking dish, and pour the sauce over to coat all the potatoes.

Step 4

Bake in the preheated oven until tender and bubbling, 25 to 30 minutes.