Last week was Thanksgiving, providing a much-needed opportunity for college students to make the trip, long or short, home. Aside from being the ideal time to catch up with friends and family and take time to acknowledge all there is to be thankful for, the holiday is essentially centered on the food.

There are many great dishes that constitute a Thanksgiving meal, whether it continues to make an appearance year after year or is a new twist on an old favorite. Due to the complex nature of the meal, it may be the only opportunity each year to feast on a select few dishes. But this does not always need to be the case.

Sweet Potato Soufflé is a dish that I think is absolutely necessary for a proper Thanksgiving. While the turkey, potatoes, dressing, cranberries and gravy are all delicious, traditionally and automatically already have their place on my Thanksgiving plate, with the sweet potatoes being a personal unique favorite. This being said, why reserve this treat just for Thanksgiving? Especially when you consider there are more holidays yet to come that this would be an exceptional addition to the dinner table.

Mashed and topped with a crumbly, sugary topping, Sweet Potato Soufflé admittedly could fall into the dessert category. But for the holidays, this indulgence is acceptable.

Relatively easy to assemble and bake, these sweet potatoes can be reproduced throughout the year and are a perfect holiday treat.

To make, the sweet potatoes are cooked and mashed before being topped with a butter and brown sugar streusel topping and finally baked until the topping is crisp.

Though not a soufflé in the traditional puffy, egg-based sense, Sweet Potato Soufflé can easily become a favorite that will provide a taste of Thanksgiving throughout the year until the next November comes around.

Sweet Potato Soufflé ingredients:

4 cups sweet potatoes, cubed

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

Topping of Soufflé:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 tablespoons melted butter

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions:

Place the sweet potatoes in a pot and add enough water to cover the sweet potatoes. Bring to a boil and cook until the sweet potatoes are very tender and can easily be pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and let cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

While the sweet potatoes cool, combine the topping ingredients in a small bowl with a fork.

Once the sweet potatoes are cool, add to a large bowl with the sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Beat until very smooth.

In a greased 8-inch square pan, spread the sweet potatoes in a smooth layer.

Divide the topping evenly among the top of the sweet potatoes.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until the topping is golden brown.