{"id":13095,"date":"2020-11-22T16:53:06","date_gmt":"2020-11-22T23:53:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thegirlinspired.com\/?p=13095"},"modified":"2022-10-05T13:27:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-05T20:27:14","slug":"candied-yams-with-marshmallows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thegirlinspired.com\/candied-yams-with-marshmallows\/","title":{"rendered":"Candied Yams with Marshmallows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Another staple on our Thanksgiving table, and the occasional Wednesday night, we looooove our candied yams with marshmallows in this house! Cooked yams are mashed with melted butter and maple syrup, vanilla and brown sugar; then topped with a huge pile of mini marshmallows. Pop this casserole in the oven and make the kiddos’ eyes light up when you tell them to eat their vegetables. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This is my girls’ favorite dish of all for Thanksgiving. In fact, we love our sweet potato casserole so much, sometimes we have this marshmallow version and a second pan of yams with brown sugar pecan streusel. <\/a> Whichever way you bake ’em, this staple dish goes hand in hand with our fancied up stovetop stuffing<\/a> and mom’s cranberry jello salad<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What are Candied Yams?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I think of candied yams, I often think of cut up chunks or slices of yam or sweet potato, mixed with sugar, butter, and spices like ground cinnamon and ground ginger, and then baked into a caramelized dish. For this version of candied yams, we’ve mashed tender yams and then mixed them with maple syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, and butter – achieving that caramelized\/candied taste without the extra cooking. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Do You Cook Sweet Potatoes in the Microwave?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Making baked potatoes and sweet potatoes in the microwave is such a huge timesaver (and dish saver)! The skins do not crisp in the same way as when you bake the potatoes in the oven, but the inside tastes practically identical. Since we’re discarding the skins for this recipe, waste no time (or oven space) trying to cook these in the oven, and opt for this much quicker route. Even better, no need to peel the yams or take up oven or stovetop space!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For best results, choose yams that are similar in size. Be sure to prick the skins all over with a fork to allow the steam to escape while they’re cooking. If you don’t, the built up steam may cause the sweet potato to explode. No one has time to clean up that mess either!!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arrange the yams in a spoke pattern in the microwave. This will ensure more even cooking. You can place them on a dish OR, for easier cleanup, just place them on a few layers of paper towel. They do seep some sticky juice while they’re cooking, so be sure those paper towels are ready to catch the drips. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microwave for about 5 minutes to start and then add 2 minutes per additional yam. Turn the yams over halfway through cooking. You can also flip the end that faces in to the spoke pattern. Add 1-2 minutes of cook time more after the initial cooking until the yams are done. I usually squeeze the sides of the yam to tell when they’re done – they’re soft and squish easily. They are really hot at this point, though, so be careful. You can also pierce them with a fork – if the fork slides in easily, they are done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remove cooked yams from the microwave as they finish cooking. If you have a bit of a smaller one, it may finish cooking faster. Just pull that one out and continue cooking those that aren’t done yet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have a microwave with a “baked potato” setting, go ahead and start there. It seems to do the job pretty accurately. Once your yams are cooked, allow them to cool just a little bit and then you’re ready to candy them and top them with marshmallows!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fun Fact<\/h2>\n\n\n

What is the difference between a true Yam and a Sweet Potato?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A yam, my friends, is not actually what we’re eating for Thanksgiving dinner. A true yam is a starchy, root vegetable with a rough exterior. You can find yams in parts of Latin America, West Africa, the Caribbean, and Asia, but you’d be hard-pressed to find one in most U.S. grocery stores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The confusion between yams and sweet potatoes has roots in both the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and a marketing campaign by a Louisiana sweet potato company. If you’re interested in more details, this article<\/a> is a fascinating (and quick!) read on the yam vs. sweet potato mix-up. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Call this classic dish what you will, this might make for an interesting conversation around the holiday table!.<\/p>\n\n\n \n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

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Ingredients for Candied Yams with Marshmallows:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n