Sweet Potatoes Baked with Marshmallows Recipe
Baked sweet potatoes topped with a layer of melted marshmallows are one of the most surprising dishes on the American holiday table. For a Pole, the combination of potatoes and marshmallows sounds strange, but in practice it turns into something between a dessert and a sweet casserole. In the USA it’s a classic for Thanksgiving and Christmas, served next to roast turkey.
Sweet potatoes baked with marshmallows are one of those dishes that best show the American approach to the holiday table – part dessert, part side dish to meat. The contrast between the creamy, spiced sweet potato purée and the gooey, toasted marshmallow topping is surprisingly pleasant and completely different from casseroles known in Poland. In the USA this dish appears almost obligatorily next to roast turkey for Thanksgiving.
Chef's tips
Make sure the sweet potatoes are really very soft – only then will the purée turn out smooth and free of lumps under the marshmallow layer. Toast the marshmallows briefly and keep an eye on them through the oven door, because it takes literally a minute to go from lightly golden to burnt. If you’re making the dish ahead of time, bake only the sweet potato layer, then add the marshmallows and bake just before serving so they stay soft and gooey.
How to serve
The casserole is best served alongside roast turkey, ham or roast pork – it then acts as a sweet, spiced side that can even replace dessert. It tastes great with a mug of black coffee or cinnamon tea, especially on winter evenings. It also works perfectly on a holiday table as a “weird American dish to try” when you invite family over for a USA-themed dinner.
Ingredients
- sweet potatoes - 800 g
- butter - 60 g
- brown sugar - 3 tablespoon
- milk - 80 ml
- egg - 1 piece
- cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- nutmeg - 0.25 teaspoon
- salt - 0.25 teaspoon
- vanilla - 0.5 teaspoon
- marshmallows - 120 g
- pecans - 40 g
Preparation
- Peel the sweet potatoes, cut them into large pieces, place in a pot, cover with cold water, lightly salt and cook for 15–20 minutes from the moment they start boiling, until they are very soft and you can easily pierce them with a fork.
- Drain the cooked sweet potatoes and set aside for 2–3 minutes so the excess water can evaporate.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (top and bottom heat).
- Transfer the hot sweet potatoes to a large bowl, add the butter and mash everything with a potato masher into a smooth, lump-free purée.
- Add the brown sugar, milk, egg, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and vanilla, then mix thoroughly until the mixture is uniform and creamy.
- Transfer the sweet potato purée to a baking dish, smooth the top with a spoon and sprinkle evenly with chopped pecans.
- Place the dish in the preheated oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the mixture sets slightly and starts to brown gently around the edges.
- Remove the dish from the oven and sprinkle an even layer of marshmallows on top so that almost the entire surface is covered.
- Return to the oven for 5–8 minutes, watching through the door: the marshmallows should puff up and turn a golden-brown color, but not burn.
- Serve the casserole 5–10 minutes after taking it out of the oven, once the marshmallows have slightly deflated and are no longer very runny.
Storage
Zapiekankę przechowuj w naczyniu przykrytym folią w lodówce i podgrzewaj w piekarniku w 160°C, aż środek będzie gorący. Pianki po podgrzaniu nie będą już tak puszyste, ale smak pozostanie dobry.
