Another of Vrghr's favorite dishes for the holidays. This Sweet Potato Casserole has a bed of mashed sweet potatoes, seasoned with a variety of sweet spices, topped with chunks of sweet potatoes for a texture contract. The whole thing is drenched in a sweet, thick sauce of butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and a variety of sweet spices.

Vrghr used Marshmallow Fluff this year instead of the traditional mini-marshmallows. And from the results, that will be the wuffy's method from now one. For one, it looks nicer, and the fluff has a creamier texture that melts into the potatoes. Yum!

Once again, this isn't a low-cal diet dish! But for the occasional Holiday indulgence, it shouldn't be passed up!

Holiday Sweet Potato Casserole

Ingredients:
2 Lg (29 oz) or 4 "regular" (15 oz) cans Yams/Sweet potatoes
1/4 C brown sugar (divided)
1/4 C Maple Syrup (get the real thing if you can)
3 Tbs Butter
Nutmeg, ground
Allspice, ground
Cinnamon, ground
Cardamom, ground
Ginger, ground

Mini Marshmallows or Marshmallow fluff (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drain the yams/potatoes from half the cans (1 lg or 2 regular) and place the yams in the bottom of the casserole dish. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the juice/syrup from one of the other cans of yams.

Sprinkle a dash of each of the spices and 1 Tbs brown sugar on top of the chunks.

Using a potato masher or fork, coarsely mash up the potatoes, juice, spices and brown sugar to make a thick layer on the bottom of the dish.

Dot the bottom layer with the butter. Cover the layer with half the brown sugar and half the maple syrup.

Remove the remaining sweet potatoes from their can(s), reserving the juice. Place the sweet potatoes/yam chunks from the remaining can(s) on top of the mashed layer.

Sprinkle a very light dusting of each of the spices over them, and add the rest of the brown sugar and maple syrup.

Pour just enough juice over the whole sweet potatoes to come about 1/2 way up the sides of the potatoes.

Cover with tinfoil, and bake at 400 degrees until hot and bubbly, and the sauce has thickened slightly (about 25-30 minutes).

Remove foil.

Bake another 10 minutes to allow sauce to thicken more.

If using marshmallows, cover the top with a layer of marshmallows or marshmallow fluff. Set oven to Broil. WATCHING CAREFULLY (will go from "nice" to "carbonized" in moments!), broil until marshmallows puff and brown toasty on tops, and start melting down into the potatoes.

Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes or so, for sauce to "set up" and molten marshmallows to cool to safe temperatures.

Makes approx 8 servings.