When you are planning out a dinner menu for a special occasion, some of our other simple but elevated favorites are Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles, Easy Creamy Corn Casserole, and Southern Cornbread Dressing. These individually portioned twice-baked sweet potatoes are going to be the star of your holiday feast! They are a like a sweeter, Fall version of my favorite Twice Baked Potatoes. There is a casual sophistication to serving creamy mashed sweet potatoes in their own skins! And who doesn’t love toasted marshmallows on top of their sweet potatoes? I mean, maybe my dad, but pretty much everybody else, right? I know I do! Twice baked sweet potatoes are fantastic served with Brown Sugar Glazed Ham and Italian Peas, or with other festive main dishes like a Juicy Roast Turkey with a Butter Herb Rub, Garlic Herb Butter Beef Tenderloin Roast, or Pan Seared Lamb Loin Chops.
Why this Recipe Works
It’s easy to scale up or down depending on how many you are serving. Picky eaters love this approach because the sweet potato skin shells keeps foods from touching on crowded Thanksgiving plates. Mashed sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top is practically like eating dessert for dinner, but it’s perfectly acceptable because sweet potatoes are “good for you.”
Ingredient Notes
Sweet potatoes: Look for sweet potatoes that aren’t too large. Keep in mind that most people will just eat ½ of a regular sized sweet potato when made this way. Those giant potatoes are better used in a Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans or for making Crispy Baked Sweet Potato Fries. Brown sugar: The naturally sweet flavor of sweet potatoes is complimented and enhanced by the molasses flavor of the brown sugar. Marshmallows: Fresh marshmallows are the best and will toast and melt better to create a wonderful topping for your twice baked sweet potatoes. Feel free to sub with pecans though, if you prefer.
How to Make this Recipe
Start by really cleaning the outside skin of the sweet potatoes. Dry them well, then pierce the sweet potatoes several times on the top, bottom, and sides with a sharp knife or fork. Arrange on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (no need to wrap them). Bake until soft enough to easily pierce with a sharp knife, then remove from the oven and slice each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out the soft flesh of the sweet potatoes into a large mixing bowl (Be careful! It’s hot!). Try to leave the sweet potato skins intact by not trying to scrape out every last bit of sweet potato for the filling so they will hold their shape better once you refill them with mashed sweet potato. Add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and heavy cream to the bowl with the baked sweet potato centers and mash or beat with an electric mixer until creamy and smooth. Spoon the filling back into the sweet potato skins, arranging them on the baking sheet. Sprinkle a generous amount of marshmallows on top of each sweet potato and return them to the oven. Bake just until the marshmallows are melty and toasted on top. Watch them carefully so the marshmallows don’t burn.
Recipe Tips
When preparing to cook the sweet potatoes use a fork to puncture the skin in 6-8 places on the top, bottom, and sides of each potato. Don’t wrap the sweet potatoes in foil. The outside skin actually needs to dry out a bit, rather than steam, in order to not fall apart when scooping out the insides to make the filling. Variation: Feel free to swap out the marshmallows for the pecan streusel topping I use in my sweet potato casserole recipe instead. Want to add a little maple flavor to your twice baked sweet potatoes? Feel free to replace the brown sugar with an equal amount of maple syrup!
More Side Dish Recipes
Creamy Potluck Potatoes Italian Sausage Stuffing Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Apples Scalloped Potatoes [Au Gratin Potatoes]
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