As every home cook knows, Thanksgiving dinner is a huge undertaking. I remember thinking as a kid how wild it was that my mom got up at 4 a.m. to start cooking ...until I began hosting the festivities myself and started doing the exact same thing.
Although Thanksgiving cooking is a labor of love for me, it's totally understandable if you might want to cut a few corners where you can. And this year, a sweet potato casserole from Everyday Family Cooking founder Samantha Erb is very much calling my name. Why? Because 1) it's totally delicious and 2) takes all of five minutes to prep.
“This is actually my personal favorite Thanksgiving recipe,” Erb tells Parade. “I created it to be super easy to make while staying flavorful and sweet, which is how I love sweet potato casserole."
At the heart of Erb's recipe is a pantry ingredient that's often underrated: canned yams. Sold ready to eat, these shelf-stable wonders instantly cut down on Turkey Day recipe prep and help free you up to, y'know, actually celebrate. "I love an easy recipe so I can enjoy more time with my family," Erb says. "The holidays can get overwhelming when you're making so many dishes."
Maybe you're leery of using a canned ingredient in a special-occasion dish—I was too! But after making this tasty side in record time, I’m 100% sold. Read on to find out how the dish came together in my kitchen and why I'll be serving it for Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving and beyond.
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What Are Canned Yams?
Courtesy Korin Miller
First, a bit of background on our MVP ingredient: Most brands of canned yams are actually sweet potatoes packaged in syrup. (True yams are similar to sweet potatoes but starchier and less common in the U.S.) Canned sweet potatoes are fully cooked, which means you can add them right to your favorite recipes without having to steam, bake or boil them first. Yesss.
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Ingredients You Need to Make This Easy Canned Sweet Potato Casserole
Courtesy Korin Miller
You don’t need much to make Erb’s canned sweet potato casserole. Here’s what she recommends:
Canned yamsUnsalted butterBrown sugarAn eggGround cinnamonSaltMini marshmallowsChopped pecansErb says she won't fault you if you prefer to use fresh sweet potatoes in lieu of canned. In that case, she recommends peeling them, boiling until tender, cooling, cutting into large chunks and proceeding with the recipe as written.
Related: 150+ Easy Thanksgiving Dessert Recipes That Will Make Everyone Happy on Turkey Day
How to Make Canned Sweet Potato Casserole
The process of putting together canned sweet potato casserole is so simple that it practically makes itself.
Start by preheating your oven to 350°. Spray a 1-quart baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside. Drain the canned yams and put them in a large mixing bowl. Mash them up using a potato masher or the back of a wooden spoon. Mix in melted butter, brown sugar, an egg, cinnamon and salt.
Courtesy Korin Miller
Spoon the potato mixture into the prepared baking dish and spread into an even layer. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Top the casserole with marshmallows and pecans and broil until the marshmallows are lightly browned, which should take a minute or two, depending on your broiler. Pro tip: Keep a close eye on the casserole once the broiler is on. (More about that in a minute.)
Related: I Tried Joanna Gaines’ Friendsgiving Casserole and It’s Rich, Creamy and Comforting
My Honest Thoughts AboutCanned Sweet Potato Casserole
Courtesy Korin Miller
Putting together a sweet potato casserole the "traditional" way—from scratch—usually takes a while because of the peeling and boiling. And yet the idea of trying the canned version of yams had never occurred to me. Going into this recipe, I'll admit that I was a bit judgy and definitely had my doubts.
After making the dish, I'm thrilled and humbled to report that this casserole tasted just as good as the versions I've made with sweet potatoes I've roasted from scratch. I'm laughing at myself for not trying the convenient canned kind sooner.
Like your standard sweet potato casserole, this shortcut version delivers a mix of sweet and savory flavors, with a delightful, creamy texture that's offset by the crunchy pecans. If you put this casserole side by side with a version made the slow way, I think most people would be hard-pressed to tell the difference.
For me, the big selling point of this dish is the speed. The prep took maybe five minutes, and then all I needed to do was pop the dish in the oven. It has to be one of the easiest casseroles I’ve ever made.
Related: 30 Easy Weeknight Meals To Save You When You're Hangry With Limited Time
Courtesy Korin Miller
Tips for Making Canned Sweet Potato Casserole
Because this dish requires just a few ingredients, is simple to assemble and tastes amazing, there's really nothing about it I would change. Just one cooking note: Keep a close eye on the dish during that final blast under the broiler. Everyone's broiler is a little different, and the window of success is narrow. Says Erb, "The marshmallows can go from perfectly roasted to burned very quickly."
And I would know. After just 90 seconds under the intense heat, my marshmallow topping ended up too charred to serve. Exhibit A:
Courtesy Korin Miller
Fortunately, the filling wasn't harmed, and I was able to scrape off the burned layer and try again with the extra marshmallows and pecans I had on hand. This time, I turned the oven light on, watched more closely and pulled out the casserole after only a minute or so. (Side note: I also discovered in doing this that my broiler cooks unevenly, so I needed to reposition my pan midway through.) The topping came out much better on my second attempt, and the finished dish was wonderful. Exhibit B:
Courtesy Korin Miller
Broiler issues aside, I’m impressed! This recipe is brilliant.
Related: Yes, You Absolutely Can Make Your Own Cream Cheese Right at Home—Here's How
Source:
• Samantha Erb, food content creator and founder of Everyday Family Cooking.
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