Sweet Potato Casserole with Praline Marshmallow Topping Recipe - Crunchy Creamy Sweet (2024)

FAQs

Why do Americans put marshmallows on sweet potato casserole? ›

According to an article from Saveur Magazine documented by the Library of Congress, the first recipe of mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows dates to 1917, when "marketers of Angelus Marshmallows hired Janet McKenzie Hill, founder of the Boston Cooking School Magazine, to develop recipes for a booklet designed to ...

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.

(Another hot tip if you're boiling your sweet potatoes: Don't overcook them! They tend to absorb water, which could make the filling watery.) So, say you do have some undercooked bits of sweet potato. You have two choices: Pick them out or bake your sweet potato casserole long enough to soften the underdone pieces.

Most people point to a 1917 pamphlet by the Angelus Marshmallow Company as the first time sweet potatoes and marshmallows came together. This company is believed to be the first to commercially-produce and sell the squishy white marshmallows we know, roast, and snack on today.

While both yams and sweet potatoes are root vegetables, the taste of each is entirely unique. The orange-fleshed sweet potatoes tend to be much sweeter and creamier in texture compared to yams which have a white flesh that's starchier and more similar to a white potato.

After emancipation, when African American cooks gained more access to their own equipment and refined ingredients, they continued the tradition of baking with yams and sweet potatoes — especially the pie. These deep roots became the foundation of a strong tradition in African American food culture.

So if you want a sweet, sweet potato, you have to cook it until it reaches 135–170°F (57–77°C). And you want to keep sweet potatoes in that range for as long as possible. That will maximize how sweet the potatoes taste.

Fresh herbs or citrus zest can also punch up flavors with a bit of welcome brightness for a long-cooked dish, as can adding some heat in the form of a dash of hot sauce, a generous pinch of minced or sliced fresh chili pepper, or a shake of red pepper flakes.

Sprinkle the topping evenly over the sweet potato mixture, then pop it into the oven and let it bake for 40 to 45 minutes. You will know it's done when the topping is lightly browned and the center of your casserole is set and firm.

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up. I've tested soaking sweet potato fries many times, and I've found that it doesn't make them much crispier, if at all.

If it cooks, but doesn't thicken enough, you can make up a slurry of cornstarch & cold water & mix that in (before putting on the marshmallow topping). Let it cook a bit longer for the heat to activate the cornstarch & thicken it, then add your topping.

Thus, 'soft' sweet potatoes were referred to as 'yams' to distinguish them from the 'firm' varieties.

China is the world's biggest producer and consumer of sweetpotato, where it is used for food, animal feed, and processing (as food, starch, and other products).

She surmises that the sweet potato casserole's ties to Thanksgiving are to do with the sweet potato being an ingredient native to the Americas, if not the region where the very first Thanksgiving took place.

Store Brown Sugar with Marshmallows

It might seem strange, but marshmallows can help soften brown sugar! How? The moisture from the mallows gets absorbed into the dried-out sugar. Just drop a few marshmallows into your container of brown sugar and seal it up tight.

Marshmallows first came into the picture in 1917, when the company Angelus Marshmallows published a recipe for hot cocoa topped with their product. (In another genius marketing move, the company also hitched its wagon to sweet potatoes with a recipe for the side dish that has since become a Thanksgiving staple.)

Sweet potato casserole with marshmallows

Served alongside savoury mains but certainly a super sweet dish is this much-loved American addition to the Thanksgiving table. Essentially the dish is a sweet potato mash of sorts topped with a thick, gooey layer of toasted marshmallows.

North America. Many restaurants serve baked potatoes with sides such as butter, sour cream, chives, shredded cheese, and bacon bits. Sides are usually optional and customers can order as many or as few as they wish.