Easy canned sweet potato casserole with marshmallows

One of the dishes I love most during the holidays is this Canned Candied Yams with Marshmallows Recipe. I think you either love them or hate them. However, Doug…hates them! Even the smell of them cooking sends him fleeing from the kitchen. So you can imagine the look on his face when I told him I wanted to post the recipe, and then asked him to photograph them! He is the reason why I do not get to prepare so often as I would like my amazing marshmallow dip for sweet potato fries recipe.

Table of Contents Show

Canned Candied Yams With Marshmallows: TIPS
Yams | Sweet Potatoes : Nutritious Values & Other Facts
Have A Nice Meal!
Why do people add marshmallows to sweet potatoes?
Are canned sweet potatoes already cooked?
Are yams in a can the same as sweet potatoes?
Why do you add eggs to sweet potato casserole?

Thanksgiving recipes are all about tradition! Many families fix real sweet potatoes but I grew up on sweet potatoes from the can. Also, we called them canned yams. However, my Grandma always made this recipe every Thanksgiving and the smell was just incredible. So, since then I have carried on the tradition and made them the same way, even though my husband isn’t a fan.

Canned Candied Yams With Marshmallows: TIPS

After placing the yams in a medium baking dish, you should distribute butter pieces evenly over them. Even though you can always substitute the butter with some ols, I strongly recommend using the first one.
When it comes to sprinkling sugar, I recommen using the brown one. However, it is not a dead end if you don’t have any around your kitchen, and go for the regular one.
Even though in the recipe the amount of marshmmallows is 2½ cups, you are free to use as many as you like. We all know that, afterall, the browned marshmallows on top of the canned yams really make all the difference!
Finally, I’d like to add that, besides being one of my favorite holiday dishes, it’s also super practical. It is one of my easiest to make recipes and can also be prepared ahead and placed in the fridge until it’s time to cook.

Candied Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows

2 (40 ounce) cans Sweet Potatoes {yams} drained - save juice from 1 can
½ cup brown sugar, packed
4 tablespoons butter
2½ cups {or more} mini marshmallows

Lightly spray a 13x9 baking dish with cooking spray
Drain Sweet Potatoes, saving the juice from 1 can and spread in prepared dish
In a small saucepan on the stove, melt the butter, then add brown sugar, whisk until sugar is dissolved - about 2 minutes
Add 1 - 1½ cups of the reserved juice to the brown sugar mixture and heat about 3 minutes, do not boil
Pour over sweet potatoes
Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes
Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows
Turn oven up a bit, about 400, and return dish to oven to brown the marshmallows for about 5 minutes. Watch closely.
Serve immediately.

Can be prepared up to 8 hours ahead, store in the fridge until time to cook.

Linking to…Gooseberry Patch

Yams | Sweet Potatoes : Nutritious Values & Other Facts

First of all, I need to clarify an important thing: their name. In some parts of North America (where I’m from), sweet potatoes are called yams. However, this is not the right way to use the term, since yams are a different species. But, it’s MY WAY to use the term! Considering Grandma used to call them like that, nothing can change my mind now.

Many people substitute regular potatoes for sweet potatoes, considering our yams to be the healthier choice of them two. However, the two species contain similar amounts of water, carbs, fat, and protein. Also, both types of potatoes are rich in vitamins B6 and C. Although, white potatoes are higher in potassium, whereas sweet potatoes contain more vitamin A.

Sweet potatoes are usually orange but also found in other colors, such as white, red, pink, violet, yellow, and purple. However, the most known color of them is still orange, considering these are the most marketed ones.

The nutrition facts for 100 grams of raw yams are:
- Calories: 86
- Water: 77%
- Protein: 1.6 grams
- Carbs: 20.1 grams
- Sugar: 4.2 grams
- Fiber: 3 grams
- Fat: 0.1 grams

The most abundant vitamins and minerals in our yams are:
- Pro-vitamin A
- Vitamin C
- Manganese
- Vitamin B6
- Potassium
- Vitamin B5
- Vitamin E

Have A Nice Meal!

All in all, tell me another recipe that is easier to make and sweeter than this one! I dare you! Also, please share your results and thoughts on these candied yams in the comments section. Not to mention that I’d love to hear what your family thought about it. Are your kids yams lovers or not?

However, for some of my friends, this recipe was a game-changer: they just started to eat those orange sweet potatoes they used to hate. Isn’t this incredible! Who knew that some marshmallows can really do the trick!

Why do people add marshmallows to sweet potatoes?

Sweet Marketing According to Saveur, it was 1917 when the first instance of sweet potatoes baked with a coat of marshmallows appeared in a recipe booklet commissioned by Angelus Marshmallows. Since then, the dish found its way into more and more culinary publications, allowing for nationwide recognition.

Are canned sweet potatoes already cooked?

One 15-ounce can of sweet potatoes equals one cup of fresh sweet potatoes. Canned sweet potatoes are precooked, so add them at the end of a recipe.

Are yams in a can the same as sweet potatoes?

Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same? No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

Why do you add eggs to sweet potato casserole?

The egg is the all-important binder in a sweet potato casserole: it enriches and stiffens the mixture without making it heavy. Make sure to cool the mash slightly before adding the egg so it doesn't scramble, and to stir well so there are no streaks of cooked egg white in the finished dish.