Beginner’s Guide to Thanksgiving Dinner~Candied Yams, A.K.A. Sweet Potato Casserole

On to our next side dish I thought we could look at candied yams next! Some people also refer to this as Sweet Potato Casserole which is probably a more accurate description since it does contain sweet potatoes and not a true Yam. There is a pretty dramatic difference between a sweet potato and a yam they are completely different plant families. The sweet potato is more common in the U.S. and there are a few different types to choose from in most grocery stores. For this recipe we are looking at the more traditional, thick skinned, orange or light yellow sweet potato.

Sweet Potato Casserole is a sweet delicate dish and when made from scratch it really can’t be beat! I guarantee you will not be able to stop yourself when it comes to this dish! Second’s please! It’s also a very easy dish to make from scratch but there are some “cheats” you can use if want to. So let’s see what you need!

6 medium-large sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/4 in. thick slices. I use a mandolin to slice these up in a few minutes easy peasy.
1/4c water
1/4 cup salted butter
1/4 c. brown sugar,
1 tsp cinnamon,
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt,
2 cups mini marshmallows
1/4 c. chopped walnuts optional

Preheat the oven to 375F. Coat a 9x13in glass pan with cooking spray. Place sweet potatoes in the pan in an even layer. Add water, and Bake covered for 45 minutes until tender. Drain remaining water from the dish after baking. (You can bake the sweet potatoes the day before and add the sauce and marshmallows in the day of the event, just store the baked sweet potatoes covered in the refrigerator over night. You can also substitute fresh sweet potatoes for canned and skip the initial baking step all together.) Next, In a small sauce pan heat butter brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour over the baked sweet potatoes and place back in the oven for another 15minutes covered. Remove from oven, Top with mini-marshmallows and walnuts and bake once more until marshmallow topping is fluffy and lightly browned. Serve warm!