Summer is almost over…  My first summer in Chicago has come to an end.  As fall nears I love to experiment with savory and sweet flavors.  I just started making this dish and it has been my go to for potlucks and barbecues!

The combination of sweet potatoes and bananas offer a twist on traditional sweet potato dishes that are made with marshmallows!  Between sweet potatoes and bananas you can be sure that you are getting lots of ‘good for you’ nutrients such as potassium, vitamin-C, vitamin-A, and more!  Be sure to try this easy recipe today!  It can be used as an appetizer, side dish for an entree, or even as dessert (a much healthier option compared to the traditional fall apple crisp)!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 pound sweet potatoes (to be mashed and diced)
• 4 large bananas ( to be mashed)
• 1 c chopped pecans
• 1 c assorted strawberry slices/pieces
• OPTIONAL: brown sugar (a few pinches)
• PAM olive oil spray (enough to coat a tin pan)

METHODOLOGY

1. Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Coat a tin pan with olive oil spray.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the banana and sweet potatoes and mash together forming a homogenous mixture of the two.
4. Scoop the mixture into the oiled pan and level evenly at the top.
5. Sprinkle the chopped pecans and strawberry slices atop the mashed mixture.  Sprinkle brown sugar lightly over the nuts.
6. Pop the pan into the oven for about 15-20 minutes until browning is noticed.
7. Set aside to cool or serve warm with a main entree.

xxx – Sarah