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Mary Anne here. This recipe is incredibly simple to prepare and can be made through step 3 up to two days before. The sweet potatoes are Mariel’s favorite part of the meal and I seriously think I would be in big, big trouble if they didn’t appear at our table every year! (Mariel here. I’m PSYCHED to finally have this recipe; 365 days of sweet potatoes…here I come.)
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Serves 12
Note: You will need a large, rectangular Pyrex or ceramic roasting dish – a standard 9×13 brownie pan works for this amount of sweet potatoes.
Ingredients:
6 lbs sweet potatoes (not yellow yams) – $2.24
1 cup dark brown sugar – stock
¼ cup unsalted butter – stock
¼ cup water – stock
¼ Teaspoon salt – stock
Grand Total Assuming Well-Stocked Pantry: $2.24
Total Per Serving : $0.19
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Scrub the sweet potatoes, but leave them whole. Prick all over with the tines of a fork. Drop into a large pot of boiling water. Return to a boil and then reduce the heat; simmering until fork tender. The amount of time depends on the “fatness” of the potato. Better to err on the side of slightly under cooked, as they will also go into the oven later. When fork-tender, drain into a colander and run cold water over the potatoes. Slip their jackets of as you are cooling them under the spray.
2. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes into ½ inch thick rounds and layer evenly along the bottom of the casserole dish. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt the butter over low flame. Add the brown sugar, salt and water. Bring to a near-boil, stirring constantly. Immediately remove from the heat.
3. Pour the syrup evenly over the potatoes.
*Note: If preparing the day before, allow the sweet potatoes to cool and then store, covered with plastic wrap in the fridge until the day of. Remove from the fridge about 2 hours before you plan to serve. Allow the casserole to return to room temperature before baking.
4. Place the prepared potatoes into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until bubbling, basting once or twice. Serve immediately.
My mom used to make sweet potatoes this way with a small amount of flour mixed into the brown sugar to thicken the glaze….she also used orange juice in place of water.