Nellies Southern Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes (If you want to cook them the old fashioned way, bake the sweet potatoes at 350 until they're tender ~ about 45 minutes for average sized potatoes; if you're in a hurry, boil / steam them in about a half inch of waterI cook mine skins on, but it really doesn't matter).

2 eggs

3/4-1 cup of sugar (according to your taste)

2/3 stick butter , softened (DON'T substitute margarine here!)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup self-rising flour

1/3 cup butter , softened

1 cup pecans , coarsely chopped (Tip: pulse on ‘chop' setting in your food processor.)