Sweet Potato Puree with Bananas and Buttered Pecans

Ingredients

• 6 pounds (about 6) sweet potatoes
• 2 ripe bananas, skins on
• 2 ounces (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound pecans
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Pierce the sweet potatoes with a fork and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Roast the bananas, with the skins on, for the last 15 minutes of cooking time. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and bananas, and transfer to a food processor. Pulse until the potatoes are chunky.

Add the butter and maple syrup, puree until smooth. Add the cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt; puree to combine. Transfer to a shallow baking pan and smooth out the surface with a spatula.

In a skillet, cook the pecans in butter over low heat and sprinkle with salt. Saute until well-coated, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Transfer the pecans to paper towels to drain. Arrange pecans on top of puree and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake at 300 degrees F until heated through, about 20 minutes.