Sweet potato casserole with pecan streusel topping

[cappyhead]

Note to self: this recipe fills a standard sheet cake pan.

I made this for Xmas eve dinner... it was a hit. :)

It's based on a Paula Deen recipe: http://www.pauladeen.com/recipes/view2/sweet_potato_bake
but I added notes so you can modify it for gluten-free & dairy-free friends.

3 40-ounce cans yams in syrup, drained
(I prefer Bruce's yams. Use 8 15-ounce cans if you can't find the 40 ounce cans)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup (more or less, to taste)
1/3 cup butter, melted (Use Earth Balance for dairy-free)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
dash of salt

Topping:
1 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted (Use Earth Balance for dairy-free)
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (Use sorghum flour or other GF flour for gluten-free)
1 cup pecans or walnuts, chopped
Mix together with fork; sprinkle over top of casserole.

Directions
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Press the yams through potato ricer. This helps remove the stringy bits. Add mashed yams and all other ingredients to mixing bowl. Mix until well blended. Pour into a 9 inch x 13 inch greased casserole dish. Add topping. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You might want to turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes if the brown sugar topping doesn't looked melted, but keep a close eye on it as it can burn quickly. KEEWERD