Sweet Potato Casserole with Crispy Bacon and Marshmallows
To marshmallow or not to marshmallow…that is the question. I’m team marshmallow when topping my sweet potatoes, but you can skip them if you prefer. Either way, these sweet potatoes are a cinch to make and reheat perfectly a day or two after you make them.
Ingredients
- 8 Garnet yams, washed and dried (look for uniform yams that will look good when halved)
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled (will be divided in the recipe)
- ½ cup firmly packed brown sugar (less if preferred)
- ¼ cup orange juice (fresh if possible), plus the zest of 1 orange
- 2 tsp pumpkin spice blend
- Kosher salt
- 1 cup cooked bacon crumbles
- 2 cups mini marshmallows (optional)
- ½ cup toasted and chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Wash the sweet potatoes and dry them. Using the tines of a fork, prick each sweet potato a few times to allow air to escape. Place them on a parchment or foil-lined baking sheet. Place them in the oven and cook for 45-60 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes have softened and can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove them from the oven to cool.
- When each potato is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh of each potato and place in a large mixing bowl. Discard the skins. You should have about 6 cups of sweet potato flesh.
- Drizzle 4 tbsp. of the melted butter over the sweet potatoes, then add ¼ cup of brown sugar, the orange juice and zest, the pumpkin spice blend, and a teaspoon of salt. Using a potato masher or electric beaters, mash until the sweet potatoes are free of lumps and the ingredients are evenly combined. Taste the mixture, adding more of the brown sugar if desired. Stir in the chopped walnuts if using, then stir in half of the bacon crumbles. Taste, adding more salt if needed.
- Place the mashed sweet potatoes in an oven-proof casserole dish and spread them out evenly. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the melted butter. Place them back in the oven to reheat for 10-15 minutes until warmed through.
- Combine the marshmallows, remaining bacon bits, nuts, and a tablespoon of the melted butter in a mixing bowl. Toss to coat the ingredients with the butter. Spoon the mixture over the top of the sweet potatoes, then place back in the oven for 5-10 minutes or until the marshmallows are browned. If omitting the marshmallows, toss the bacon and nuts with the butter and sprinkle over the sweet potatoes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
