Oven Candied Sweet Potatoes

This is the sweet potato casserole that shows up at Thanksgiving tables across the South, and for good reason. Boiled sweet potato slices layered with brown sugar and butter bake down into a sticky, caramelized side dish that straddles the line between savory and dessert.

Boiling the sweet potatoes whole before slicing is a deliberate move. It keeps them from absorbing too much water, so your casserole layers stay firm and don’t turn into mush during that long bake.

The brown sugar and butter melt together as they bake, creating a syrupy glaze that coats every slice. After 30 to 40 minutes, the edges go dark and caramelized while the centers stay tender.

Chef Tips

• Boil until “just tender," meaning a knife slides in with slight resistance. Overcooked sweet potatoes will fall apart when you slice them and you’ll end up with a mash instead of defined layers.
• Slice the potatoes evenly at ½ inch thick so they bake at the same rate. Thin slices dry out while thick ones stay underdone.
• Add the marshmallows only in the final 5 minutes. They go from golden to scorched fast, so keep an eye on them under the broiler or oven heat.

Variations

• Skip the marshmallows and top with a pecan streusel (chopped pecans, brown sugar, flour, and butter) for a crunchy, grown-up version.
• Add a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg between the layers for warm spice notes.
• Use a mix of sweet potatoes and yams for varied color and slightly different sweetness levels.