Ultimate Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole: A Zesty Holiday Side Dish with Peppered Marshmallows

Prepare to elevate your dining experience with our **Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole**, an effortlessly delicious side dish that shines at any holiday gathering or family meal throughout the year. This recipe masterfully blends the inherent sweetness of perfectly mashed sweet potatoes with vibrant orange zest, rich butter, comforting brown sugar, and warm hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. However, the true showstopper, guaranteed to impress your guests, is the exquisite topping of **pillowy peppered marshmallows and crunchy pecans.** This unique combination adds an unexpected depth of flavor and texture that truly sets it apart. After savoring this delightful casserole, continue the celebration of classic holiday flavors by serving a luscious Pumpkin Pie with Condensed Milk for dessert.

Why This Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole Will Become Your New Favorite

If your palate delights in the comforting and traditional flavors of holiday meals, reminiscent of dishes like Elegant Green Bean Casserole, creamy Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, or the tender texture of freshly baked, no-knead Potato Rolls, then this orange-spiced sweet potato casserole recipe is perfectly tailored for you. Its harmonious blend of sweet and savory notes makes it an incredibly versatile companion for a wide array of main courses. It pairs exceptionally well with robust flavors, shining particularly brightly alongside our No Ketchup Meatloaf or a festive roast.

What truly distinguishes this casserole is the brilliant inclusion of fresh orange zest. Beyond merely adding a bright, citrusy aroma, the zest infuses the familiar, comforting flavors of sweet potato casserole with a tangy, refreshing counterpoint. This natural sweetness from the orange creates a wonderfully balanced and invigorating taste that prevents the dish from being overly rich, making each bite a delightful experience. It’s this citrusy lift that truly makes this dish memorable.

This recipe expertly satisfies both sweet and savory cravings, presenting a versatile side dish that is ideal for pairing with classic oven-roasted turkey or succulent chicken, hearty beef pot roast, glazed ham, or even delicate grilled salmon. Its adaptability ensures it will be a crowd-pleaser, no matter the occasion or the main course it accompanies.

Key Ingredients for Your Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to creating this unforgettable casserole. Here’s what you’ll need to have ready:

• **Sweet potatoes:** The foundation of our casserole, providing natural sweetness and a creamy base.
• **Oranges:** Essential for the star ingredient, fresh orange zest, which adds a bright, aromatic, and tangy dimension.
• **Miniature marshmallows:** For that iconic, pillowy, browned topping.
• **Pecans:** To introduce a delightful crunch and nutty flavor that complements the sweetness.
• **Brown sugar:** Enhances the natural sweetness of the potatoes and contributes to a rich, caramelized flavor.
• **Cinnamon & nutmeg:** Classic warm spices that perfectly complement sweet potatoes and oranges, creating a cozy aroma.
• **Unsalted butter:** Adds richness and helps achieve that incredibly smooth, luxurious texture.
• **Salt:** A pinch to balance the sweetness and enhance all the other flavors.
• **Freshly ground black pepper:** Our secret ingredient for the peppered marshmallows, adding a subtle, savory kick.

Selecting the Perfect Sweet Potatoes for Your Casserole

For this recipe, you’ll need approximately three pounds of sweet potatoes. Since individual potato sizes can vary significantly, this might translate to three large sweet potatoes or perhaps 4-5 smaller, more slender ones. Look for firm, unblemished sweet potatoes with smooth skin. Avoid any that have soft spots, sprouts, or green areas.

Pro Tip for Perfect Portioning: To ensure you purchase the exact amount of sweet potatoes needed for your casserole, utilize the produce scale available in most grocery stores. Aim for precisely 3 pounds – this will guarantee the ideal consistency and flavor for your dish.

Expert Tips for Prepping Your Sweet Potatoes

The key to an exceptionally flavorful sweet potato casserole lies in how you prepare the potatoes themselves. Oven roasting or baking is highly recommended, as this method naturally caramelizes the sugars within the sweet potatoes, intensifying their inherent sweetness and bringing out a deeper, more complex flavor profile that elevates the entire casserole.

However, if you’re pressed for time and need a quicker alternative, microwaving your sweet potatoes until tender is a perfectly acceptable option. Most microwave ovens feature a convenient “potato” cooking setting; simply use that until a fork can easily slide into the potato, indicating it’s perfectly soft and tender. Regardless of your chosen method, the goal is to achieve a wonderfully tender and soft interior, ready to be mashed into a creamy base.

Once your sweet potatoes are cooked and cooled slightly, carefully slice each potato in half lengthwise. The skins should peel away easily, allowing you to effortlessly scoop out the soft, cooked sweet potato flesh, which will form the heart of your delectable casserole.

Frequently Asked Questions About Sweet Potato Casserole

Mash or Smash: Achieving Your Preferred Sweet Potato Texture

Once the sweet potato flesh is scooped out, transfer it to a large mixing bowl. When it comes to texture, there are two main paths: mashing or smashing. I personally prefer to smash the sweet potatoes by hand using a potato masher, intentionally leaving a few delightful chunks of sweet potato in the filling. This creates a casserole with a slightly rustic, more substantial texture that I find incredibly appealing.

However, my family generally favors a smoother, fluffier filling, more akin to traditional mashed potatoes. Achieving this requires a more thorough mashing process, similar to how one would prepare mashed Russet potatoes, ensuring all lumps are removed and the mixture is light and airy. The choice is entirely up to your personal preference or what your family enjoys most!

After achieving your desired texture for the sweet potatoes, add the remaining ingredients to the bowl – that’s the butter, brown sugar, one teaspoon of orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Remember to hold back the marshmallows and pecans for the topping.

If you’re aiming for that soft, incredibly fluffy casserole – a consistency much like perfectly whipped mashed potatoes – a hand mixer will be your best friend. Use it to thoroughly blend all the ingredients until you achieve the smooth, airy texture you desire.

Alternatively, as mentioned, this recipe is equally delicious when the ingredients are simply combined and gently mashed using a potato masher, leaving some delightful textural variation. Ultimately, the choice between a smooth and fluffy or a slightly chunky casserole comes down to how you and your family prefer it. Whichever method you choose, spread the sweet potato mixture evenly into a 13″ x 9″ glass baking dish or any equivalent oblong, 3-quart baking dish.

The Secret Ingredient: Peppered Marshmallows

This is where our Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole truly shines and distinguishes itself from all other holiday side dishes. Prepare to surprise and delight your guests with this ingenious twist!

Pro Tip for a Standout Casserole: Here’s the unexpected secret that will make your sweet potato casserole genuinely memorable: before topping, generously add **freshly ground black pepper** to your mini marshmallows. Then, toss them with the remaining one teaspoon of fragrant orange zest. This simple yet revolutionary technique ensures each fluffy, sweet marshmallow receives a subtle, tantalizing dusting of savory pepper and a bright kiss of citrus.

This innovative approach transforms the classic, candy-like marshmallows into a sophisticated topping with an intriguing savory edge. The slight warmth and earthiness of the pepper, combined with the zing of orange zest, creates a beautiful contrast that perfectly balances the sweetness of the marshmallows and the rich sweet potato base. It’s a culinary revelation that will have everyone asking for your secret!

Once your marshmallows are perfectly seasoned, spread them evenly across the top of the mashed sweet potatoes, creating an inviting, fluffy layer ready for baking.

A Versatile Side Dish for All Seasons

While sweet potato casserole is undeniably a beloved staple for traditional holiday meals, often gracing tables alongside our other Thanksgiving recipes or as a cherished Christmas side dish, its appeal extends far beyond the festive season. Thanks to the thoughtful inclusion of bright citrus and subtle, warm spices, this particular recipe transcends seasonal boundaries. Its refreshing and comforting flavor profile makes it a truly delicious and appropriate side dish to enjoy any time of year, whether it’s a summer barbecue or a cozy winter dinner.

Clearing Up the Confusion: Yams vs. Sweet Potatoes

When you’re shopping for sweet potatoes at a standard U.S. grocery store, the chances are overwhelmingly high that you’ll bring home a variety of sweet potato that will perform beautifully in this recipe. Don’t be alarmed if you see them labeled as “yams.” The termyamis quite often used in the U.S. to simply differentiate the softer, moister varieties of sweet potatoes (often with reddish-orange skin and orange flesh) from the firmer, drier varieties (typically with tan or white skin).

However, true yams are botanically distinct and native to Africa and Asia. These authentic yams possess a rough, bark-like brown peel, have starchy white or purple flesh, and a much more neutral, earthy flavor compared to sweet potatoes. Crucially, true yams will not work as a suitable substitute for recipes calling for sweet potatoes due to their different texture and flavor profile. These genuine yams are typically found in specialty international markets, often sold sliced, wrapped in plastic, and refrigerated.

So, unless you specifically seek out these true African or Asian “yams” in an international food market, you can rest assured that what you’re buying and enjoying in your sweet potato casserole is, indeed, a sweet potato!

Sweet Potatoes: An Idaho Anomaly?

The Crinkled Cookbook proudly calls Idaho home, a state world-renowned for its magnificent potatoes. But does our famous potato-growing land extend to sweet potatoes? Surprisingly, no.

Sweet potatoes are actually botanically more closely related to the morning glory and the carrot than they are to common potatoes. They require a significantly different climate to thrive. Specifically, it takes approximately 150 frost-free days to cultivate sweet potatoes successfully. Idaho’s weather, with its shorter growing seasons and colder temperatures, typically finds it quite challenging to meet these specific growing conditions. Consequently, the vast majority of U.S. sweet potatoes are cultivated in the warmer, southern states, where the climate is much more conducive to their growth.

Explore More Delicious Side Dishes

If you’ve enjoyed this delightful Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole, you’ll surely love exploring some of our other favorite side dishes that perfectly complement any meal:

If you tried our **Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole** or any other recipe on my website, please take a moment to leave a 🌟 star rating and share your experience in the 📝 comments below. Your feedback is greatly appreciated!

Recipe Card: Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole

Orange-Spiced Sweet Potato Casserole with Peppered Marshmallows

This easy-to-make side dish is a delightful addition to any holiday meal or a comforting family dinner throughout the year. It features naturally sweet mashed sweet potatoes infused with bright orange zest, rich butter, and a warm blend of brown sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The surprising twist of peppered marshmallows and crunchy pecans creates an irresistible topping. Complete your meal with a wonderful dessert! Explore this collection of 15 Best Dessert Recipes with Apple and Pumpkin for more classic holiday flavors.

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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 your oven to 375° F (190°C).
• Line a large baking sheet with foil or parchment paper for easy cleanup.
• Thoroughly rinse the sweet potatoes, keeping the peels on. Use a fork to prick several holes in each sweet potato. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes, or until a fork easily slides into the potato, indicating they are tender. As an alternative, for a quicker cooking method, place the pricked sweet potatoes on a paper towel in the microwave and use the potato setting to cook them until soft enough for a fork to easily penetrate.
• Carefully remove the cooked sweet potatoes from the oven and cover them lightly with a piece of aluminum foil. Allow them to cool for 10-15 minutes. Once cooled slightly, use a small knife to make a slit in the skins; they should easily separate from the sweet potato flesh and peel off effortlessly.
• Scoop out the soft sweet potato flesh and transfer it to a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced butter, light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of orange zest, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Using an electric mixer (or a potato masher, depending on your preferred texture), whip or mash the ingredients until the butter is fully melted and incorporated, and the potatoes reach a smooth consistency, similar to mashed potatoes.
• Grease a 9″ x 13″ baking dish or spray it generously with non-stick cooking spray (like Pam).
• Spread the prepared sweet potato mixture evenly into the greased baking dish.
• In a separate medium-sized bowl, combine the mini marshmallows with the remaining 1 teaspoon of orange zest and ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper. Toss gently until all the marshmallows are lightly coated and seasoned with the zest and pepper.
• Evenly spread the peppered marshmallows across the top of the sweet potato mixture, then sprinkle the chopped pecans over the marshmallows.

Bake

• Place the casserole in the preheated 375° F (190°C) oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the marshmallows are beautifully golden brown and lightly toasted. Keep a close eye on them during the last few minutes to prevent burning.

To Make Ahead

• To prepare this casserole ahead of time, bake the sweet potatoes and follow all the steps in the recipe up to spreading the sweet potato mixture into the baking dish, but **do not add the marshmallow or pecan topping yet.** Cover the sweet potato mixture tightly and refrigerate for up to two days.

  Approximately one hour before you plan to serve the casserole, remove the dish from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to take off the chill.

  Preheat your oven to 375° F (190°C).

  Add the marshmallows and pecans to the top of the sweet potato mixture. Cover the dish loosely with aluminum foil and bake for 15 minutes. Then, remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are lightly browned and bubbly. Watch closely during these final minutes to ensure the marshmallows do not burn.

Notes

Curious about the actual difference between yams and sweet potatoes? As discussed above, the “yams” you typically find in a standard U.S. grocery store are almost always just a different, moister variety of sweet potato, and they will work perfectly in this recipe. For a classic and complete holiday meal combination, serve this delightful sweet potato casserole with our savory Zucchini Stuffing Casserole. Conclude your festive meal by serving a comforting Pumpkin Pie with Sweetened Condensed Milk for dessert, creating a truly harmonious holiday-inspired flavor combination. For another delicious recipe that brilliantly showcases the bright flavor of oranges, be sure to try our Orange Rolls, a classic homemade cinnamon roll recipe with a citrusy twist.

Calories: 394kcal
Carbohydrates: 63g
Protein: 3g
Fat: 16g
Saturated Fat: 7g
Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g
Monounsaturated Fat: 6g
Trans Fat: 1g
Cholesterol: 25mg
Sodium: 186mg
Potassium: 450mg
Fiber: 4g
Sugar: 37g
Vitamin A: 16332IU
Vitamin C: 4mg
Calcium: 62mg
Iron: 1mg

Please note: The nutrition details provided are estimated using a food database and are intended as a rough guide, not an exact scientific calculation.

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