Sweet Potatoes - YUCK!

I don't eat Sweet Potatoes. I didn't even eat them as a child. My mom would pull the labels off of the baby food jars and try to trick me with sweet potatoes...making me think they were carrots. I would spit them out instantly...I keep trying them but I just don't like the feel of sweet potatoes in my mouth. They are pithy. Anyways a few years ago a group of friends and I ate at the Piccadilly Cafeteria. Why you ask? I have no clue...it is just where we ended up. I hate cafeteria food almost as much as I hate sweet potatoes...but on the trail down the food line there was a dish labeled carrot souffle...that looked an awful lot like the sweet potatoe souffle I make at Thanksgiving and Christmas for my family. The server told me, "No ma'am...this really is carrots. The cook makes it because he does not like sweet potatoes." "Get out of here!" I thought to myself...someone else who does not like those nasty orange colored things....yooo hooo. I got a serving of the carrot souffle and dissected it at my seat. It was carrots and it was wonderful. It had the consistency of the other souffle I make...and that same brown sugar and nut topping. I thought I had died and gone to heaven. I actually went back and got another serving to go for later. I actually planned to go home and dissect it and recreate it for myself. I was pleasantly surprised when the cook came out and gave me the recipe....but of course...his recipe makes a 200 serving dish. I only need one for 20....so I cut it down and want to share with you my recipe for Carrot Souffle. If you like carrots and sweet potatoes, you will like this...it is good. If you don't like carrots but like sweet potatoes...you probably won't like this....but try it once anyways. I now take this to my family Thanksgiving each year and no one knows the difference....except me.
This is what the Piccadilly Souffle recipe should have looked like, but instead of using confectioners sugar and dusting it he used the traditional sweet potato souffle brown sugar topping and to me that made all the difference.

Carrot Souffle

Combine
2 pounds carrots, chopped finely or if you are lazy...get 32 ounces of canned carrots and drain them well
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup white sugar (can substitute Splenda)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 eggs, beaten
Toppings:1 teaspoon confectioners' sugar for dusting -original topping1 cup dark brown sugar - sweet potato souffle style topping1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrots and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and mash. To the carrots add melted butter, white sugar, flour, baking powder, vanilla extract and eggs. Mix well and transfer to a 2 quart casserole dish. For Toppings:Prepare the topping in a small bowl by whisking together the brown sugar, flour, butter and pecans(sweet potato style). Sprinkle mixture over potato mixture and bake for 35-40 minutes depending on your oven.
If you use the confectioners sugar method dust the souffle with confectioners sugar when you remove it from the oven.
With the Thanksgiving Holidays coming up I thought you might enjoy a new/old recipe to try out! Have a Wonderful Monday!