How to Make Baked Sweet Potatoes With Brown Sugar & Marshmallows in the Oven

Balance the saltiness of a full dinner menu with sweet potatoes.

Although sweet potatoes are naturally rich in sugar, many Americans cannot resist preparing the vegetable with sweet toppings such as brown sugar and marshmallows. Variations on this embellishment are popular throughout the country, and many versions take center stage on Thanksgiving alongside a turkey and dressing. However, you must achieve the proper balance of sugary toppings when you prepare a dish like this. Adding a salty element, like butter, to the potatoes before applying the topping, yields a balanced dish that even the pickiest eaters cannot resist.

Things You'll Need

• Sweet potatoes, 4 pounds
• Aluminum foil
• Fork
• Food processor
• Half-and-half, 1/4 cup
• Salted butter, melted, 1/4 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons
• Ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon
• Ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon
• Light brown sugar, 1/2 cup
• Small bowl
• Flour, 1 1/2 tablespoons
• 13-by-9-inch baking dish
• Wooden spoon
• Chopped pecans, 1/4 cup
• Miniature marshmallows, 2 cups

Instructions

1. Wrap each of the four pounds of sweet potatoes individually in aluminum foil. Bake the potatoes in your oven, preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, until they are tender when you test them with a fork, about 60 to 90 minutes.

2. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Allow them to cool until they are comfortable to touch. Remove the foil; peel the skin off the potatoes. Discard the foil and skin.

3. Place the sweet potatoes in a food processor. Pulse the potatoes until they begin to break down.

4. Pour 1/4-cup half-and-half and 1/4-cup melted butter to the potatoes. Blend the ingredients until they are smooth.

5. Add 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg to the potato mixture. Blend the mixture until it is smooth and consistent.

6. Pour 1/2 cup of lightly packed brown sugar into a small bowl. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Stir the ingredients with a fork, mixing thoroughly.

7. Pour 1 1/2-tablespoons melted butter into the bowl. Mix the ingredients with the fork until it is streusel-like and has some clumps. Add 1/4 teaspoon of flour if the mixture is too wet.

8. Rub the interior of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with butter. Pour the potato mixture into the dish. Spread it evenly with a wooden spoon. Sprinkle two-thirds of the streusel mixture on the potatoes. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped pecans on top of the potatoes, if desired. Pour 2 cups of miniature marshmallows over the top of the potatoes. Spread them evenly.

9. Bake the dish until the marshmallows begin to brown, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven. Sprinkle the remaining streusel mixture on top of the dish.