Dolly Patton has always enjoyed cooking southern home-cooked feasts for her relatives and friends, which also includes her goddaughter Melly Cyrus.

To what extent did this late country music icon adore it? She even co-wrote a cookbook with her sister Rachel Patton George, which was published in 2024.

My favorite part of “Good Lookin ‘Cookin’: A Year of Meals” is the chapter that specializes in collecting Thanksgiving dishes. And among them, the most outstanding dish is Patton’s sweet potato stew.

Now let's take a look at how to do it.

Dolly Patton's special method of making sweet potato casserole with a nutty flavor.

To make this sweet potato stew at home, you need to prepare:

• 5 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into four pieces
• 2 cups of mini marshmallows
• 1/2 cup chopped raw pecans
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar, compacted
• 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature; keep some extra for greasing the baking dish.
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

First of all, I preheat the oven and prepare the potatoes and a baking tray.

I set the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and greased a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan.

I also washed the sweet potatoes, peeled them, and cut them into four pieces.

Then, I put the sweet potatoes into a large pot and added cold water to cover them completely.

I brought the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduced the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 20 minutes until the sweet potatoes were cooked through.

When a sweet potato can be easily pierced with a fork, it means it is ready.

I drained the sweet potatoes, put them in a large bowl, and added butter and seasonings.

I added brown sugar, vanilla extract, salt, cinnamon powder, and butter. I broke the butter into several pieces before adding it, as this made it easier to mix.

I transferred the mashed sweet potatoes to a baking tray and smoothed out the surface.

I sprinkled pecans on top, and then evenly covered them with mini marshmallows.

I covered the baking tray with aluminum foil and put it into the oven.

The recipe states that the sweet potato casserole should be baked for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes, I took out the casserole, removed the cover, and then baked it for another 5 minutes.

The marshmallows should have turned golden brown, but after 5 minutes they were still as white as snow. So I turned on the grill and baked them for another 2 minutes to give them some color.

I let this sweet potato casserole cool for 15 minutes before serving it.

When this dish came out of the oven, I was a bit disappointed. The marshmallows had been baked a bit too long, and now they only covered half of the casserole. Next time, I think I’ll bake them without a lid at all.

Putting aside the marshmallows that don’t take good photos, this sweet potato stew is absolutely delicious. The crispy pecans add a pleasant variation to the flavor, and the combination of brown sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon is also very well-balanced. The texture is rich and smooth, and the kitchen is filled with an enticing aroma.

I brought this dish to a thanksgiving dinner with friends, and despite the fierce competition at the table, the grill plate was emptied in just a few minutes.

During this holiday season, I will definitely miss Dolly. Serving a warm and delicious stew seems to be the perfect way to pay my respects to her.