INGREDIENTS
Sweet Potatoes: While you can boil them whole, I suggest peeling and cubing your sweet potatoes before boiling to cut down on the cooking time. Once tender, you can mash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher or two forks. The latter method leaves a bit of texture, which I prefer in this casserole.
Eggs: I go heavy on eggs here: They help the casserole set up and boost its pudding-y vibes.
Butter: Melted butter lends richness and blends right into the mashed sweet potatoes.
Milk: I use whole milk to loosen the sweet potatoes to the consistency I’m after, while providing still more richness.
Brown Sugar: I prefer to use dark brown sugar instead of light for its deeper molasses flavor.
Vanilla Extract: Sweet potatoes adore sweet spices like vanilla. Come to think of it, a little cinnamon, nutmeg, or even pumpkin pie spice wouldn’t be unwelcome here.
Streusel: For crunch, I went with a standard streusel mixture of brown sugar, flour, butter, and pecans. It’s incredibly easy to throw together and I just love the combination of sweet potatoes and pecans. If you’re not feeling the pecans, try substituting walnuts, or you can omit the nuts altogether.
Marshmallows: Sure, I could have stopped at streusel, but who am I kidding—it’s the beautifully browned marshmallows that make this dish a showstopper. Mini marshmallows—not the sofa cushions used for making s’mores—are key to maximum visual effect.
HOW TO :
Our first step is to cook the sweet potatoes so we can mash them. Now, you’ll surely get a deeper sweet-potato flavor by roasting the potatoes whole, or even boiling them whole, but with all the intense flavors in play, I see no reason not to take the express lane: I peel and cube the potatoes, then boil them until an inserted fork meets no resistance. Once the potatoes are drained, it’s important to let them cool slightly so the eggs don’t scramble when added. Now transfer the sweet potatoes to a large bowl, add the rest of the ingredients for the sweet potato filling, and get to mashing. I like to leave a bit of texture, so I tend to do my mashing with two forks.