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    Home » Recipes » Sides

    Dec 28, 2021 · Modified: Jun 29, 2023 by Melinda O'Malley Keckler · This post may contain affiliate links · this blog generates income via ads.

    Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole is an easy side dish that's delicious with a holiday meal, or any meal any time of year. It combines naturally sweet mashed sweet potatoes with orange zest, butter, brown sugar and a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon. But it's the pillowy peppered marshmallows and crunchy pecans on top that just might steal the show. Follow up and serve Pumpkin Pie with Condensed Milk for dessert and enjoy classic holiday flavors!

    Sweet potato casserole in a baking dish with a spoon
    Jump to:
    • Why You'll Love This Recipe
    • Ingredients to Have on Hand
    • Choosing Sweet Potatoes
    • Prepping the Sweet Potatoes
    • FAQs
    • Mash or Smash the Sweet Potatoes
    • Peppered Marshmallows
    • A Great Side Dish Any Time of Year
    • The Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes
    • Idaho Sweet Potatoes?
    • More Side Dishes
    • Recipe
    • Comments

    Why You'll Love This Recipe

    If you enjoy traditional holiday meal flavors like Elegant Green Bean Casserole, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese or the tender texture of freshly baked, no knead Potato Rolls, then this recipe will be right up your alley. It pairs well with so many flavors, it's especially tasty with No Ketchup Meatloaf.

    Orange zest adds a bright, citrusy aroma and tangy flavor to the well-known flavors of sweet potato casserole. The orange adds natural sweetness creating a balanced and refreshing taste.

    This recipe caters to both our savory and sweet cravings, making it a versatile dish perfect with oven-roasted turkey or chicken, beef pot roast, ham or grilled salmon.

    Ingredients to Have on Hand

    • Sweet potatoes
    • Oranges
    • Miniature marshmallows
    • Pecans
    • Brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg
    Ingredients for orange-spiced sweet potato casserole

    Choosing Sweet Potatoes

    You'll need about three pounds of sweet potatoes for this recipe, and since the size of each potato varies that may mean three large ones or 4-5 smaller, slender sweet potatoes.

    Pro Tip: Use a scale in the produce section of your grocery store to be sure you buy the perfect amount of sweet potatoes for your casserole: 3 pounds.

    Three unpeeled sweet potatoes on a counter

    Prepping the Sweet Potatoes

    Oven roasting or baking helps to caramelize the natural sugars in sweet potatoes and it helps bring out the ultimate sweetness in this casserole.

    In a pinch, you could also microwave the sweet potatoes until tender, just use the potato cooking option on your microwave oven.

    You can tell the sweet potatoes are cooked once a fork easily slides into the potato. It will need to be tender and soft.

    Baked sweet potato sliced open with a spoon scooping out the filling

    After baking, slice the sweet potato in half and scoop out the inside.

    FAQs

    Can I use yams instead of sweet potatoes?

    Yes. Although there is often confusion about the two, the yams that we buy in a standard U.S. grocery story are almost always just a different variety of sweet potato and yes, they will work great in this recipe.

    Scroll down for more details on the difference between yams and sweet potatoes.

    What about using canned yams?

    I've not made this recipe using canned yams, but if time is short I imagine that would be OK to substitute. You'll need about 6 cups of mashed, canned sweet potatoes or yams.

    Can this be frozen ahead and prepared later?

    Yes, simply leave the marshmallows and pecans off and freeze the sweet potato mixture in a freezer-safe dish. Defrost, then bake according to the recipe below.

    Mashed sweet potatoes in a bowl with a fork

    Mash or Smash the Sweet Potatoes

    Place the baked sweet potato filling in a large mixing bowl. I like to smash the sweet potatoes by hand using a potato masher and leave a few chunks of sweet potato in the filling. I like it a little lumpy.

    But my family prefers the filling to be fluffy and more like mashed potatoes which requires more mashing, a process similar to when we make mashed Russet potatoes.

    All ingredients for the casserole in a large mixing bowl with a spoon

    Add the remaining ingredients, except the marshmallows and pecans.

    Casserole ingredients in a large bowl with a hand mixer

    If you like a soft, fluffy casserole - similar to the consistency of mashed potatoes - then use a hand mixer to blend the ingredients until you get the texture you like.

    Mashed sweet potatoes in a layer in a baking dish

    I think this recipe is equally delicious when the ingredients are combined using a potato masher. It depends how you and your family prefer it.

    Either way, spread the sweet potato mixture evenly in a 13" x 9" glass baking dish or any oblong, 3-quart baking dish.

    Peppered Marshmallows

    Mini marshmallows in a bowl with orange zest and pepper

    Pro Tip: Here's the secret to making your sweet potato casserole stand out in the crowd of holiday side dishes. Add pepper to the mini marshmallows then toss them with one teaspoon of orange zest.

    Each little pillowy marshmallow gets a light dusting of pepper and a touch or zest.

    It's a technique that gives candy-like marshmallows a savory touch.

    Spread the peppered marshmallows evenly across the top of the mashed sweet potatoes.

    A Great Side Dish Any Time of Year

    We often think of sweet potato casserole as a side with our other Thanksgiving recipes or at Christmas side dish, but since this recipe includes a touch of citrus and light spices it's delicious any time of year.

    Peppered marshmallows on top of the sweet potato casserole

    The Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes

    If you buy sweet potatoes from a standard U.S. grocery store, the odds are incredibly good that you will bring home a variety of sweet potato that will work beautifully in this recipe.

    Don't worry if you see them labeled as yams. The word yam is sometimes used to differentiate the soft variety of sweet potato from the firm variety.

    Yams stacked inside a cardboard box
    Yams, in a standard U.S. grocery store
    Sweet potatoes stacked inside a large cardboard box
    Sweet Potatoes
    These were sold side-by-side in the grocery store, but the yams on the left are simply a different variety of sweet potato.

    But it gets confusing. Even canned yams are simply a different variety of sweet potatoes. But they are labeled as yams.

    To try and lessen the confusion, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires labels with the term ‘yam’ to be accompanied by the term ‘sweet potato.’

    But true yams are native to Africa and Asia and have rough brown peels, almost like tree bark, (photo below) they have white flesh and a neutral flavor. They also won't work as a substitute for a recipe calling for sweet potatoes. These yams are often sold sliced, wrapped in plastic wrap and refrigerated.

    Unless you specifically search for true African "yams," which are usually found in an international market, rest assured, you are probably buying and eating sweet potatoes!

    Sweet potato casserole in a baking dish with a spoon

    Idaho Sweet Potatoes?

    The Crinkled Cookbook is based in Idaho and yes, our state is oh so famous for potatoes. But do sweet potatoes grow here? Nope.

    Baked sweet potato sliced open with a spoon scooping out the filling

    Sweet potatoes are actually more closely related to the carrot than potatoes and they don't grow well in Idaho because it takes about 150 frost-free days to grow sweet potatoes. It's pretty hard for Idaho weather to meet those conditions.

    The majority of U.S. sweet potatoes are grown in the southern states.

    Sweet potato casserole in a baking dish with a spoon

    More Side Dishes

    Here are a few more sides that I think you'll enjoy.

    • A pot of cooked Mexican fried rice, with a large spoon dishing up a serving of the rice.
      Easy Mexican Fried Rice (Restaurant Style)
    • A serving of salad on a large plate.
      Easy Edamame Salad
    • Sweet corn salad on a plate with corn on the cob in the background.
      Sweet Corn Pasta Salad
    • Spicy Black-Eyed Pea Salad

    If you tried Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below.

    Recipe

    Sweet potato casserole in a baking dish with a spoon

    Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole

    An easy side dish that's delicious with a holiday meal, or any meal all year long. It combines naturally sweet mashed sweet potatoes with orange zest, butter, brown sugar and a touch of nutmeg and cinnamon.
    5 from 199 votes
    Print Rate Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time: 1 hour hour
    Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 people, as a side dish
    Calories: 394kcal
    Author: Melinda O'Malley Keckler

    Ingredients 

    • 3 pounds sweet potatoes
    • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter sliced
    • ½ cup light brown sugar
    • 2 teaspoons orange zest divided
    • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
    • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 cups mini marshmallows
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper freshly ground
    • ½ cup chopped pecans

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven 375° F
    • Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper.
    • Rinse the sweet potatoes, leave the peels on, and use a fork to prick holes in each one. Bake for 60 minutes or until a fork easily slides into the sweet potato. As an option, place the sweet potatoes on a paper towel in the microwave and use the potato setting on the microwave to cook until soft enough for the fork to slide easily into the potato.
    • Remove from the oven and cover lightly with a piece of aluminum foil. Cool the potatoes for 10-15 minutes. Using a small knife to slice the skins, they should easily separate from the sweet potato filling and the skins should come off easily.
    • Scoop out the sweet potato flesh and place in a large bowl. Add butter, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Use an electric mixer and whip until the the butter is melted and the potatoes are the consistency of mashed potatoes.
    • Grease a 9” x 13” baking dish or spray with Pam.
    • Spread sweet potato mixture into the baking dish.
    • In a medium-sized bowl, place marshmallows, the remaining 1 teaspoon of orange zest and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Toss until the marshmallows are lightly seasoned with the zest and pepper.
    • Spread the marshmallows across the top of the sweet potato mixture then sprinkle with the pecans.

    Bake

    • Place in a 375° F oven for 15-20 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly browned.

    To Make Ahead

    • Bake the sweet potatoes and follow each step in the recipe except for adding the marshmallow topping. Cover the sweet potato and refrigerate for up to two days ahead.
      About an hour before you plan to serve the casserole, remove the dish with the sweet potato mixture from the refrigerator. Let the dish sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.
      Preheat oven to 375° F.
      Add marshmallows and pecans. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes or until the marshmallows are lightly browned. Watch closely during the last few minutes to ensure the marshmallows don't burn.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 394kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 3gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 25mgSodium: 186mgPotassium: 450mgFiber: 4gSugar: 37gVitamin A: 16332IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 62mgIron: 1mg

    Please note, the nutrition details are estimated using a food database and are offered here only as a guideline for informational purposes.

    Did you try this recipe? I'd love to see it! Follow @crinkledcookbook on Instagram, snap a photo and tag it #crinkledcookbook

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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Julie says

      November 04, 2022 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      Gorgeous combination of flavour with orange and the spices used. Really comforting delicious!

      Reply
    2. Nora says

      November 02, 2022 at 1:33 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! Such a wonderful recipe! I love your combination of spices and flavors! Simply gorgeous! And so easy to prepare!

      Reply
    3. Stephanie says

      November 02, 2022 at 4:28 am

      5 stars
      This side dish is perfect for my Thanksgiving table! I would never have thought to spice up a sweet potato dish with orange, but it really makes it special.

      Reply
    4. Jere Cassidy says

      November 01, 2022 at 10:17 pm

      5 stars
      YUM! So glad I found your recipe. We love sweet potatoes and this recipe is so easy. Adding the orange zest along with the spices really made the casserole super tasty.

      Reply
    5. Tina says

      November 01, 2022 at 9:28 pm

      5 stars
      Ooo! I've never thought of adding orange to sweet potato casserole before. This recipe sounds amazing!!

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        November 01, 2022 at 9:35 pm

        Agreed. The orange is a game changer!

        Reply
    6. Agnieszka says

      March 24, 2022 at 9:26 pm

      5 stars
      Making this for our next Thanksgiving for sure! Thank you for explaining the difference between yams and sweet potatoes. Very informative.

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        March 25, 2022 at 10:15 am

        Thank you! The orange zest in this recipe gives it a whole new spin, it's equally delicious with ham or pot roast served any time of year. 😉 I'm glad to hear you'll be making it over the holidays!

        Reply
    7. Kayla DiMaggio says

      March 24, 2022 at 7:42 am

      5 stars
      This sweet potato casserole was so delicious! Such a fun side dish!

      Reply
    8. Andrea says

      March 23, 2022 at 8:56 pm

      love this casserole dish so much! such a unique flavor and everyone enjoyed it!

      Reply
    9. amanda says

      March 23, 2022 at 6:17 pm

      5 stars
      Such good flavor with the orange, loved it!

      Reply
    10. Jeannie says

      March 23, 2022 at 5:34 pm

      5 stars
      I love sweet potatoes this makes a perfect dessert and snack! The addition of marshmallows on top looks good too.

      Reply
      • Melinda O'Malley Keckler says

        March 24, 2022 at 10:23 am

        Hi Jeannie, I've never thought of this as a dessert recipe. But I agree, the marshmallows sure look good and they add a touch of sweetness.

        Reply
    11. nancy says

      December 30, 2021 at 4:25 pm

      5 stars
      The orange spice was lovely and really brightened this otherwise heavy dish!

      Reply

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