This Thanksgiving dinner staple is a classic for a reason; I’m just adding that little something extra to make it the best ever!

Ok so if you’re reading this today, you waited til the last minute to throw together your offering for the family dinner table. LUCKY YOU because not only is this the BEST sweet potato (ok, yams whatever) casserole, but it’s also super quick and easy. You’re welcome.

Ingredients

Yams:

• 2 – 40 oz cans of cut yams, drained of syrup and rinsed
• 1 – 15 oz can of cut yams, drained of syrup and rinsed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• salt to taste

Topping:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (for a sturdier, more “crumb cake” like streusel, add an additional heaping tablespoon of flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 2 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

Yams:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Grease a 2 or 2 1/2 quart casserole dish (I use a 9×13, you’ll need the space!) and set aside.
• Add the yams to your casserole dish after they have been drained of syrup and given a quick rinse.
• With a potato masher, give your yams a quick mash. Not everything should end up as mush..this will lead to your satisfying the “mashed” AND “chunk” crowd.
• Mix butter, cinnamon, brown sugar and salt in a bowl, and pour mixture over your yams. Stir to coat all.
• Place casserole dish in the oven until heated through (approximately 15-20 minutes).
• While the sweet potatoes are heating, prepare the topping.

Topping:

• In a medium bowl, combine butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt (I use a fork to stir and mash the mixture), then mix in pecans.
• Remove the casserole dish from the oven. Top with half the marshmallows, then sprinkle half the streusel over the marshmallows (pinching pieces together with your fingers). Top with the other half of the marshmallows and sprinkle the remaining streusel over the top.
• Place back into the oven for 8-15 minutes, until the topping is bubbly and golden brown (keep an eye on it so the marshmallows don’t burn). You can also place it under the broiler very briefly to add a little more color to the marshmallows. Note: the longer it is in the oven the more likely that the marshmallows will begin to melt.
• Allow to sit at room temperature for several minutes before serving.

OK so can this be made in advance you ask? Of course! I have to travel with these for my Thanksgiving celebrations, so what I do is prepare the yams and heat them through (just to get those flavors all mixed). Then I prepare the streusel topping and blend with the marshmallows and pack that mix into a container that will travel with me. Once at my destination, I add the toppings, and put it into the oven for about 15 minutes which allows it to get warmed up again AND gives some nice color to the marshmallows and streusel.