Yams in Carmel Sauce

All right everyone....if you have been put in charge of bringing yams to your Thanksgiving Holiday Feast, these are just the ticket for you. This recipe comes from my mother-in-law. They are an Eskelson family tradition, and they are absolutely MARVELOUS! The yams can be boiled and cut the day before, and stored in the fridge. The sauce can also be made the day before, but be aware. DO NOT combine the sauce and the yams and leave them in the fridge over night. I had the misfortune of making this mistake a few years ago. The starch from the yams seemed to make the carmel sauce separate.....it was a disaster, and sent me into a panic just an hour or so before the big dinner. So, if you make them in advance, just keep the sauce in a separate container and then pour it over the yams just before you bake them. Heavenly flavors of delight will be coming your way.

Yams in Carmel Sauce

2-3 large yams, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch rings1 stick butter (only butter, margarine is not invited to Thanksgiving dinner)1/2 C flour1 can evaporated milk1 1/3 C brown sugar1/4-1/2 C milk (1 % is ok)dash of salt (just a sprinkle here folks)1. Put the yams in a large pot of boiling water. Cook them until you can push a fork through the center, easily. Don't let them over cook. You don't want them as soft as mashed potatoes. They need to be a bit more firm.
2. In a sauce pan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir with a whisk until it makes a smooth mixture. (This is called making a roux....now doesn't that sound fancy and sophisticated!)
3. Add the canned milk and stir.
4. As the canned milk heats up, the mixture will start to thicken.
5. Add the brown sugar and salt. Once it comes to a boil, turn down the heat to low.
6. Add a few T of regular milk to thin out the sauce. Keep adding the milk and stirring the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency. You want it to be pretty thick still. It should definitely be thicker than gravy, but thinner than pudding.
7. Pour the sauce over the yams and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.