Easy Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams Recipe is the perfect holiday Thanksgiving Side dish. It takes less than 30 minutes to make the is sweet potato casserole from start to finish saving time, energy, and stress during the holidays.
Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams
I know you are probably wondering why I am posting about the best Sweet Potato Casserole recipe in springtime instead of the fall but trust me there is a reason. I was cleaning out the pantry trying to figure out what ingredients we had stocked up when I came across two cans of yams.
We have been making weekly meal kits for my husband's mom and 93-year-old grandmother this year to help make life a little easier for them and to minimize any grocery shopping they have to do with all the things going on right now. I figured why not make John's grandmother one of her favorite dishes which is Sweet Potato Casserole with canned yams right now instead of only serving it at Thanksgiving.
His grandmother is 93 and I feel like she should get to eat all of her favorite foods year-round not just at the holidays which are months and months away. Plus I realized I have never shared my canned sweet potato casserole which I think of as a cheater side dish for the holidays because it is so dang easy.
When asked what we want to bring to a family Thanksgiving this is the dish I think of. It takes a few minutes to prep and then the oven does the rest of the work. You don't have to stress over this side dish at all! Plus using canned yams means you don't have to spend time pealing, chopping, cutting, and processing fresh yams to make this dish.
I honestly feel like sweet potato casserole with marshmallows should be served more often than just on Thanksgiving. We make a loaded Texas Roadhouse Sweet Potato all the time so why not make a full casserole. Holiday meals are special for a reason but I do love the idea of making easy sweet potato casserole more often.
It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare this side dish start to finish using canned yams instead of fresh sweet potatoes. This is the perfect balance of sweet and savory in a quick and easy holiday side dish.
Ingredients
Please ignore the white sugar photographed above it is supposed to be brown sugar. I didn't look at the photo I took until the next day and realized that I had grabbed the wrong container of sugar for the photo.
Don't worry I used brown sugar in this sweet potato casserole recipe. When I realized I had taken the pic wrong I had already recycled the can from the sweet potatoes so please forgive me for making you wonder what was happening.
- Canned Sweet Potatoes
- Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Nutmeg
- Vanilla Extract
- Mini Marshmallows
Optional Add-ons - Pecans, maple syrup, pumpkin pie spice
Butter - I used unsalted butter but you can easily use salted butter to enhance the flavor.
Nutmeg - If you or someone in your family is not a fan of nutmeg you can easily leave it out of the recipe.
Mini Marshmallows - we like to top the sweet potato mixture with mini marshmallows and bake them for a few minutes. You can also top with toasted pecans.
Eggs - I have always made this without an egg in it because honestly when I first started making it I forgot to throw one in and we loved the flavor and stuck with it. You can definitely add in an egg when you mix the butter, cinnamon, vanilla, and nutmeg into the sweet potatoes.
Equipment Needed
Non-stick cooking spray
Large Bowl - We are big fans of this glass batter bowl that has a handle. It makes it easy to mix ingredients and keeps the mixing bowl steady on the counter.
Potato Masher
Measuring spoons
Silicone microwave cover - We swear by these to keep the microwave from getting splattered with melted butter.
Hand Mixer - If you like really mashed sweet potatoes with no thicker pieces you can use a hand mixer to mash the canned yams.
Recipe Tips
I make this in a 9x13 casserole dish to feed a crowd. You can easily half this recipe if you are serving a smaller group and bake it in a 8 x 8 casserole dish.
Don't forget to preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Nutrition information including calories, protein, calcium, carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin c, potassium, cholesterol, sodium, trans fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and more will vary depending on products used.
Printable instructions below.
Can I prep this recipe ahead of time?
Yes!!! You can definitely get this sweet potato casserole ready ahead of time. Just leave off the marshmallow topping and pecans and make sure the dish is covered in the refrigerator.
Can you make this vegan sweet potato casserole?
Yes!! Just leave out the egg like I did and use vegan butter. Skip the marshmallows and go for a pecan brown sugar streusel topping.
To make a brown sugar streusel combine ¼ cup flour, ¼ cup brown sugar, ½ cup pecans, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ⅛ teaspoon salt, and 4 tablespoon vegan butter to create a crunchy topping.
How do I store leftovers of Sweet Potato Casserole?
Cover the dish in plastic wrap or store in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-4 tops.
Reheat in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. This sweet potato casserole also reheats nicely in the microwave.
Great holiday side dishes
This recipe is featured in our best side dishes for ham collection.
Do you love recipes? Check out our copy cat recipes, dessert recipes, and our Crock Pot Recipes.
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Sweet Potato Casserole with Canned Yams Recipe
Ingredients
- 80 oz Canned Yams drained
- 1.5 cups Brown Sugar
- 4 Tablespoon Butter melted
- ½ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 4-5 cups Mini Marshmallows
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Drain sweet potatoes and add to a large bowl. Mash sweet potatoes to desired consistency.
- Mix in cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, brown sugar, and melted butter
- Spread into a 9x13 greased casserole dish
- Bake for 18-22 minutes, top with marshmallows and bake for 2-5 minutes until melted and starting to brown.
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