Description
Sweet potato lovers rejoice with Alton Brown’s candied yams, a Southern classic that marries rich, caramelized flavor with buttery marshmallow perfection. Warm spices and brown sugar create a luxurious side dish you’ll crave at holiday gatherings and comfort meal moments.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 (29 ounces / 822 grams) can sweet potatoes, drained
- 1 ½ cups miniature marshmallows
Sweeteners:
- ½ cup brown sugar
Fats:
- ¼ cup butter, cut into pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (204 degrees Celsius), ensuring the rack is positioned in the center for even heating.
- Transfer the thoroughly drained sweet potatoes into a medium-sized ceramic or glass baking dish, spreading them evenly across the bottom.
- Cut cold butter into small, uniform pieces and distribute them systematically over the sweet potato surface, ensuring complete and equal coverage.
- Sprinkle granulated brown sugar generously and uniformly across the buttered sweet potatoes, creating a thin, consistent layer that will caramelize during baking.
- Carefully arrange miniature marshmallows in a decorative, overlapping pattern across the entire sweet potato surface, covering the sugar and butter layer completely.
- Place the prepared dish into the preheated oven and bake for 22 to 26 minutes, monitoring the marshmallows to prevent burning while ensuring they become golden brown and slightly puffy.
- Remove the baking dish from the oven using heat-resistant mitts and let the sweet potato casserole rest for 5 minutes to allow the sugars to set and the marshmallows to stabilize before serving.
Notes
- Brown sugar caramelizes beautifully when mixed gently with sweet potatoes, creating a rich golden glaze.
- Mashing techniques impact the final texture, so use a potato masher for rustic chunks or electric mixer for silky smoothness.
- Marshmallow topping requires careful attention to prevent burning and achieve perfect golden-brown color.
- Room temperature ingredients blend more smoothly, helping create a more consistent casserole mixture.
- Butter distribution matters for even flavor and preventing dry spots in the dish.
- Fresh sweet potatoes provide the best natural sweetness and vibrant color compared to canned alternatives.
- Peeling can be simplified by boiling potatoes first, making the skin slide off effortlessly.
- Preheating the oven ensures consistent cooking temperature for optimal results.
- Leftovers store well in refrigerator for 3-4 days, making this a great make-ahead side dish.
- Serving warm guarantees the most delicious taste and appealing presentation.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 322
- Sugar: 27 g
- Sodium: 156 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 49 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 2 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg