I recently attended the Pecan Chefs Summit in Atlanta, along with chefs from across the country. I experienced firsthand how versatile the creamy, toasty nut could be as we cooked dishes that added chopped pecans to meatballs, pizza crust and filling for tacos. We also stuffed them in pitted dates, wrapped in bacon and roasted until crisp. All of these unusual applications were happily surprising and plenty tasty.

I selected this sweet potato dish to cook for our lunch, and the result was so good that I will be making it for my Thanksgiving side dish this year. It’s also a conversation starter when you say it was made using pecan milk, which is simple to make. It also has lots of uses, such as adding it to your coffee or using it as a nondairy milk replacement in other recipes.

This time of year is pecan season, which might explain why pecan pie is a favorite on the Thanksgiving dessert table, but I hope you’ll try this reinterpreted mashed sweet potato dish for any of your holiday menus.