Apple Topped Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

• 5 pound(s) uncooked sweet potato(es), medium-size, scrubbed, pierced with a fork
• 1 Tbsp salted butter
• 2 medium fresh apple(s), Golden Delicious, peeled, cored and sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/2 cup(s) unsweetened orange juice
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling on final product
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1 spray(s) cooking spray

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until very soft, about 1 hour. Remove potatoes from oven and reduce oven temperature to 350§F. Let potatoes stand until cool enough to handle.
2. Meanwhile, melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add apples and cook, gently turning occasionally, until golden and tender, about 7 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.
3. Cut cooled potatoes in half and scrape out pulp into a large bowl; discard skins. Add juice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper; mash with a potato masher. Or for a smoother texture, process in a food processor until smooth.
4. Lightly coat a 1 1/2- to 2-quart rectangular or round baking dish with cooking spray. Scrape potato mixture into baking dish; arrange saut‚ed apples over top in pretty pattern such as concentric circles. Bake until bubbly around edges, about 30 minutes. Sprinkle with ground cinnamon and cut into 10 pieces.

Notes

You can assemble this dish up to 4 hours in advance (up to the point of baking it). Keep it refrigerated but let it come to room temperature before cooking it.