Nov 17, 2021
My mother created this take on a classic Thanksgiving side dish. She was not a great cook; she simply did not have the time—a career and six children were her priorities. Cooking was something she delegated, but she took immense pride in doing it herself for Thanksgiving, and we all looked forward to the treat.
Making a traditional sweet potato casserole was too time consuming for my mother, and so she did it her way, creating a cross between classic candied yams and a sweet potato casserole. Smothered in marshmallows, one of my favorite childhood treats, this was an irresistible, sweet, sticky, indulgent side dish. For my mother, the sweeter the better. This adjusted version offers a little restrained sweetness, and just the right amount of buttery flavor with a bit of crunch. You can leave out the marshmallows, but in our home, they are always included.
Many supermarkets use the terms “sweet potatoes” and “yams” interchangeably, although yams and sweet potatoes are two different plants, grown in various parts of the world. The sweet potato is in the morning glory family, while yams are related to palms and grasses. Yams are found in Africa, Southeast Asia, the Caribbean, and Central America. Sweet potatoes are grown in the United States, with North Carolina leading the way. What you are likely buying is an American-grown sweet potato. True yams are imported and a rare find outside of specialty grocery stores. For this recipe, any orange-fleshed varieties like Jewel or Garnet will work well.
Recently, the New York Times shared Timeless Recipes from the Archives, and included sweet potatoes baked with lemon, attributed to a Gage & Tollner’s chef named Edna Lewis. My father’s family frequented this restaurant for three generations, beginning in the late 1800’s, and so I cannot help but wonder if this recipe had an influence on my mother’s creation. My mother liked to bake her potatoes in an old cast-iron pan. She said it was easier as it only requires one oven mitt, not two.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 38 minutes
Yield: Serves 8-10
6 medium sweet potatoes (about 4 pounds), washed, peeled, and cut into ½-inch pieces or ¾-inch rounds
½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ packed cup dark or light brown sugar
¼ cup grade B maple syrup
1 large orange, zested
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 bag mini marshmallows (10 ounces), optional
½ cup pecans
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter.
Wash and peel the sweet potatoes, then cut into 1/2-inch pieces or ¾-inch rounds. Transfer the potatoes to the baking dish, cover with aluminum foil, and bake for 10 minutes.
In a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, melt butter, whisk in both sugars along with the maple syrup, orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Turn off the heat and remove the pot from burner, being careful not to burn the butter. Stir to combine, then add the vanilla extract.
After 10 minutes, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and pour the sugar-butter mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. Cover again with aluminum foil and bake for 10 minutes.
Remove sweet potatoes from the oven, and using a spoon, baste them with the sugar-butter mixture collecting at the bottom of the baking dish. Cover again and bake until tender, about 15 minutes.
Remove the foil and spread the marshmallows evenly over top the potatoes, and sprinkle pecans over the marshmallows.
Bake uncovered to thicken the syrup and melt the marshmallows, allowing some marshmallows to brown, about 3 minutes. Be careful not to burn the marshmallows.
Remove the casserole from the oven and serve hot or warm.
Note: if you prefer to leave the marshmallows out, top your casserole with pecans only and bake uncovered for 3 minutes to toast pecans and thicken the syrup.
 | If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with the #anniefalk so we can all see it! |
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