Give Your Sweet Potato Casserole a Delicious Baked Potato.
Baked potatoes come out bland and dry. That’s why it’s better to split them up and add a ton of salt, fat and dairy to them. Sweet potatoes don’t have the same problem because they have a lot of sweetness and moisture, but that doesn’t mean they don’t benefit from contrasting textures and flavors…and marshmallows are just the beginning. Just like baked russet potatoes, there are a number of fantastic toppings that will complement the delicious orange tuber, and this stuffed sweet potato casserole recipe isn’t afraid to pile them on.
While adding marshmallows or Swiss meringue to sweet potatoes is risky, sweet potato casserole with toppings is truly dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that by the end of the night you may not have anything left on you. In this recipe, I add salty and crispy bacon, sweet and tangy pecans (from Trader Joe’s , but you can make your own ), chopped candied ginger, crushed vanilla meringue cookies (also from TJ’s, but again,) to mashed sweet potatoes. you can make it yourself ) and a few mini marshmallows. The resulting side dish is a symphony of textures: crunchy, crunchy, chewy and creamy. There are many flavors coursing through your palate: sweet, salty, spicy, hot, bitter and umami. It’s beautiful and flexible; customize it by adding less or more of what your audience likes. Here’s how to do it.
How to Make Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole
I like my sweet potatoes to be shiny, so I keep the base layer simple. Mix two pounds of cooked sweet potatoes with five tablespoons of melted butter and one-half teaspoon of salt. You can mash them together or blend until smooth if you prefer. (It’s just a matter of whether you like things smooth, chunky, or half-and-half.) If you usually make sweet potato casserole with eggs, brown sugar, or other ingredients, feel free to make it here. “Loaded” fillings will work for any basic recipe. Place potato mixture in a greased baking dish. (I used a 7×9 inch dish).
Coarsely chop the pecans, reserving a few to keep them whole. Chop the candied ginger into chunks (I cut quarter-inch thick pieces, but you can leave them larger for better effect). Chop the bacon into medium to small pieces. Cut the meringue cookies into large pieces if you can’t easily break them with your hands. Scatter all of these ingredients all over the mashed sweet potatoes, including the dusty little bits of meringue. Dot all open spaces with as many or as few mini marshmallows as you’d like.
Bake casserole at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes or until mini marshmallows begin to toast. There are no eggs in this recipe and it’s all technically cooked and safe to eat, so you can just grab a torch if you want to make it quickly. Let it cool for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I’ve never had sweet potato casserole so irresistible. I had a hard time stopping myself from eating half of it myself. Replacing the purely marshmallow filling with a variety of other ingredients made the dish much more balanced. The crispy sweet potato meringue bites tasted like Lucky Charms, and the bacon didn’t overwhelm the other flavors. I wanted more of everything, but my boyfriend said this was perfect.
This dish can be refrigerated for up to a week, but the crispy elements will dull with moisture, so this is your excuse to finish it well before then.
Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe
Ingredients:
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2 pounds sweet potatoes, cooked
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5 tablespoons butter, melted
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½ teaspoon salt
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4 strips bacon, cooked crispy and crumbled
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½ cup chopped spiced, candied pecans (leave a few whole for garnish)
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3-5 pieces candied ginger, chopped
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3-5 meringue cookies, chopped
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⅓ cup mini marshmallows
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a small baking dish with butter. I used a 9″ x 7″ plate.
Mash or mix the potatoes with oil and salt. Add this mixture to the baking dish and spread it into an even layer. Sprinkle surface with cooked bacon, pecans, ginger pieces, crumbled meringue cookies and mini marshmallows. Bake the casserole for 15-20 minutes or until the mini marshmallows are lightly browned. Alternatively, you can simply burn the marshmallows without baking them. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.