Need a good sweet potato recipe that's easy to make

[Only me]

I'm not much of a cook. I love sweet potatoes but my family doesn't so i never make them. I've been assigned a sweet potato casserole to make for our extended family Christmas on my husband's side. My mil suggested one made with marshmallows on top. His family is very picky so I want something that is tried and true. I see recipes online but I would like one that comes recommended. Since it seems like so many of you are wonderful cooks I knew the Hive would be a great place to ask. I need to shop today.

 

Also I know I will need to boil the sweet potatoes. Do you suggest peeling them before or after? Also can make any part of the recipe ahead of time? I will need it for 3:00 on Christmas Day. Also we live about an hour away from mil house so there is no way I can keep it warm. Do I just reheat it when I get there? Should I wait to put the marshmallows on? As you can tell I'm not good at this so please explain like I was 8 years old lol. Thanks!

[Matryoshka]

I've never boiled a sweet potato - I just zap them in the microwave.  Super easy.  Let cool and peel after.

 

My brother always brings the sweet potato casserole on Thanksgiving.  It's from a recipe my mom found in the Microwave Cookbook that came with her old microwave.  Heh - always comes out great.  I don't ever cook anything in the microwave - just use it to defrost and reheat, but for some reason the sweet potatoes come out great in there.  He always brings the casserole done, so I think it works great to make ahead.  I think it involves a can of crushed pineapple that you mix in with the mashed sweet potatoes, then the mini-marshmallows and chopped nuts on top.

 

I'm actually looking for sweet potato tips for Christmas day as well - MIL  always makes them with some kind of brown sugar glaze.  She's 89 and I think I have to step up and do it this year.  I think I might just wing it - I've watched her do it; she puts in pre-cooked sweet potatoes with brown sugar and margarine, I think.  Would there be any other ingredient(s), i wonder?

[mom@shiloh]

I prefer to peel the sweet potatoes before I boil them.  It also works to wash them, bake them in the oven, let them cool and then peel the skins off.  

 

I'm not really sure about amounts, since I always guess, but let me give this a try:

 

For about 6 large sweet potatoes, I would peel and boil.  When they are soft, drain the water, add 4 Tbsp. of margarine and about 1/2 cup of brown sugar.  Mash, and spread in a greased casserole dish.  When you want to serve them, bake for about 30 minutes to heat through, cover with marshmellows and bake again for about 5 minutes to melt.  

 

That's about the easiest way I can think of.  My favorite way to do sweet potatoes lately is this:  (in case you want a different idea)

 

Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces.  For about 4 cups of diced sweet potatoes, add about 2-3 Tbsp. cooking oil, and sprinkle with savory herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic salt, etc. )  Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes, until they are well roasted.  Then sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and bacon pieces (real bacon, not bacon bits)  Bake again for 5-10 minutes and serve.  LOOOVE this one, I could eat just this.

[PrairieSong]

Yes, peel and boil the sweet potatoes first. You can do that part ahead of time if you wish. I would make it at your house and reheat when you get there, adding the marshmallows at the very end. We sometimes broil for a minute or so to slightly brown marshmallows. I mix melted butter, a little orange juice, and brown sugar. You don't have to use orange juice but I like the flavor. I don't use a recipe but this one is similar to what I do:

 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Candied-Sweet-Potatoes-5/Detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Thumb&e11=sweet%20potatoes&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page

[Guest]

Well, my mom has been making one my entire life. Everyone LOVES it and I just had to give the recipe to someone, so it is fresh in my mind. It does use canned sweet potatoes, though.

 

1 large can sweet potatoes

5 Tbs butter

1/4-1/3 orange juice

mini marshmallows

 

Heat sweet potatoes in pot until warm and tender. DRAIN. Add butter and mash or use a hand mixer to blend. Slowly add orange juice until it's the consistency of mashed potatoes. Place in casserole dish and bake @ 350* for 20 minutes. Take out and add mini marshmallows over the top and bake an additional 10 minutes or until marshmallows are golden brown.

 

HTH

[Ravin]

I did crock pot sweet potatoes. Dice then into large chunks, put them in crock, pour applesauce over them, and cook on hi for 3 hours or low for 6.

[KarenNC]

That's about the easiest way I can think of.  My favorite way to do sweet potatoes lately is this:  (in case you want a different idea)

 

Peel potatoes and cut into bite-sized pieces.  For about 4 cups of diced sweet potatoes, add about 2-3 Tbsp. cooking oil, and sprinkle with savory herbs (basil, thyme, rosemary, garlic salt, etc. )  Bake at 400 for about 40 minutes, until they are well roasted.  Then sprinkle with blue cheese crumbles and bacon pieces (real bacon, not bacon bits)  Bake again for 5-10 minutes and serve.  LOOOVE this one, I could eat just this.

 

My husband thought he hated sweet potatoes until we tried a variation of this (didn't do the blue cheese or bacon--may have to try that!). All he had ever had was the marshmallow version. This is very different and might be worth trying with your family to see if they may like sweet potatoes a different way. He also will now do a baked sweet potato exactly the way he does a regular one---butter, salt, and pepper.

[VaKim]

I don't have an actual recipe, and don't measure anything, but just taste along the way to see if it is right. I peel and chop and boil the sweet potatoes. Then drain them and mix them, a bit of butter, a bit of half-n-half or milk or cream, and as much brown sugar and cinnamon as you like to taste. I mix with my electric mixer, just like I do mashed potatoes. 

 

Then, for a side topping, I stir fry some raw oats in a pan with some butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or both. It gets really crunchy and gooey an yummy, and is wonderful with the sweet potatoes. If you put the oats in or on the sweet potatoes ahead of time, they will soften and not be quite as yummy, though I still love them for breakfast the next morning anyway. 

[mumto2]

I helped a friend assemble her sweet potato dish at Thanksgiving. She had boiled the potatoes in the morning skins on so they were cold. They peeled off in about a second with my fingers. Really easy. If you have a choice boil skins on. Could not believe how easy I skinned and chopped roughly 16 in under 10 maybe 5 minutes.

[merry gardens]

Bake 'em. It's super easy, just like baking a regular potato. Once baked, you can serve them baked or put them in other recipes. They peel easier once cooked. I like to mash them with a little salt, brown sugar, cream and butter then top them with pecans mixed with brown sugar and flour. The All-Recipe website has several recipe variations like this.

[Truscifi]

This is our family favorite. It is a more traditional Southern version with pecans on top, but you could put marshmallows instead. I'm about to go make it for Christmas Eve dinner. :drool5: