Calling down to Georgia’s State Capitol offices and the Culinary History Society of Georgia, nobody could comment on the gustatorial habits of Richard B. Russell, Jr. (1897 – 1971), the politician this much-requested dish is named for. But tracking down this recipe, one thing is sure: the man had a sweet tooth. This sweet potato casserole—a mainstay going back for generations on Southern holiday tables, includes from two to three cups of sugar. You can make it with less sugar with good results, but the original recipe, which also includes plenty of butter and pecans, resembles a dessert than a side dish: The butter-crunchy pecan crust and smooth, whipped sweets beneath are habit forming.
It took a little sleuthing to find the original recipe, but I finally received it through Nicolette Bruner, who got it from her husband’s grandmother, Stella Roberts Russell, one of Senator Russell’s cousins. It has about half the butter, a quarter of the milk and a third of the sugar used in the second version I’m also publishing here, from Victoria Osteen, of Houston, TX. Victoria’s mom’s family comes from Georgia and says their version of the recipe goes way back on their traditional holiday menu.
- Senator Russell's Sweet Potatoes Version 1 (from Russell Family) Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 4 Tbsp (1/2 stick) melted butter
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 to 1/2 cup chopped roasted pecans
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 stick melted butter
- Senator Russell's Sweet Potatoes Version 2 (Victoria Osteen's Recipe) Ingredients
- 10 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 2 cups firmly-packed light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 2 cups toasted pecans, chopped
- Version one: Mix first six ingredients well and place in a buttered 8 x 10 or 9 x 13 casserole dish. Mix brown sugar, flour, nuts and melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, until bubbling.
- Version two: Preheat oven to 350. Bake sweet potatoes until soft, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool, peel and mash potatoes. Force the mashed potatoes through a sieve or ricer to remove threads. Combine sweet potatoes with beaten eggs, sugar, vanilla, milk and melted butter. Spread mixture in a 9 x 13 casserole dish. Mix brown sugar, flour, melted butter and pecans. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes and bake for 50 minutes until topping is bubbling.
18 Comments
Ah, this may be my favorite dish of all time–a Thanksgiving tradition. We got it from my mom, who got it from a church cookbook from Milledgeville, GA. This dates from at least the mid-60s, though the cookbook could be a bit earlier. My wife is called upon to whip this up for the family gathering every year at Thanksgibing.
Yum!
Ayup. It’s what I’m bringing to my daughter’s feast Thursday : )
This recipe has been a tradition in our family as long as I can remember. I remember when senator Russell was a senator too. My grandchildren would be so disappointed if ever we didn’t have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas.
a FEW YEARS AGO WE DECIDED TO LEAVE OUT THE SUGAR IN THE POTATOES. everything HAS SO MUCH SUGAR DURING THE HOLIDAYS AND WE DIDN’T WANT IT TO TASTE LIKE DESERT, WHICH IT DOES. Our family loves it just as much but we double the topping. I think I like it better.
Yes! I like this without sugar as well. I print the original recipe for the sake of preserving the original recipe. Recipes are, after all, guidelines from which we can depart in many directions. I’m glad you found a new way to to this that pleases your family. Happy Thanksgiving!
–Monica
So glad I found this recipe gain! I have made it many times but somehow lost the recipe. Thank goodness for Google.
I have been mking this receipe since 1979, found the receipe in the Tullulah Falls Cookbook. It’s a family favorite!
A slightly different version of this beloved dish is in A Taste of Georgia cookbook. My mom has used it for ages and I finally got a copy of the cookbook for my own kitchen. Love Senator Russell’s Sweet Potato Casserole!
Yes! It is lovely : ) Pleased you have more than one version. Enjoy!
I was looking for Sen. Talmage’s Sweet Potato Souffle… This is close. But I’m a bit sad. My mom used to make it and I can’t get the hang of her (Talmage’s) crunchy topping. So I’ll try this and see if it works. I know how to do the potato part just fine.
I’ll be glad to stop doing my own version if this is close enough to feel like I’m eating my mom’s goodies.
Those senators and their sweetness on sweet potatoes 🙂 ! I don’t have that recipe, but will certainly try to find it!
So happy to have found this recipe! My husband is the great nephew to Senator Robert Russell. He remembers the delicious sweet potato dish with fond memories . We will be be serving this at Thanksgiving. Thank you for sharing on lostrecipesfound.
Wow! Jill, how wonderful : ) So pleased. Happy Holidays to you and your family, with sweet potatoes on top! –Monica
Love this very southern sweet potato casserole recipe
I make this almost every year for a holiday meal. I half the sugar in the potato mixture and sprinkle ground cinnamon on top of the potato mixture before adding the topping. Everyone loves it!
We have been making this recipe for years for all of our holidays! It is fantastic! Simply the Best.
I found this recipe in the Plains Georgia Cookbook many many years ago. It is a family favorite.
We have been making this recipe my entire life. My late grandmother’s recipe box has it on an index card. The only difference is the topping. For some reason, her recipe called for 3 tablespoons of water in the topping which made it pourable. It never seemed quite right, and I found this recipe last year. This recipe has a crumbly topping that is exactly what I remember it being like growing up. We do half the sugar in the sweet potatoes, so I use about 1 cup of sugar in a double batch of the potatoes. Thanks for posting. This is such a wonderful, nostalgic dish that we make each Thanksgiving and Christmas! 🙂
Hi, Daniel!
So pleased that this recipe is exactly what you remember growing up 🙂 Half the sugar is great–I’m with you on that. Happy Holidays!
Monica Kass Rogers