In my family, the sweet potato casserole topped with golden brown marshmallows is the shining star at Thanksgiving—and pretty much at all Fall, Winter and Holiday family gatherings! Honestly, if I didn’t make this, I’d not only cause a deluge of tears spanning generations, but I might be disowned. #FACTS!
When you make it, why not take it up a notch? Our secret is to serve it in bite-sized maple sugar bacon cups because there’s only one way to make this mouthwatering masterpiece even more desirable—and that’s with bacon!
We’ve discovered a few key cooking tips that will help earn your place in your family’s food hall of fame. First, shape foil into balls to help bake that perfect bacon-cup ring. Second, roasting is our favorite way to cook the sweet potatoes as it will yield a sweet-savory flavor combination. And,don’t forget to top these with marshmallows, complete with a golden brown glow. For those who like it even sweeter, add a streusel-like element by finishing the bites with chopped roasted pecans. Talk about leaving a legacy!
Wash the sweet potatoes and pat dry. Using a fork, poke holes in each potato.Preheat your oven to425°F.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet or aluminum foil and roast at 400 degrees until tender when pierced with a fork, 50 to 60 minutes. Don’t rush this part. The longer they cook, the sweeter the potatoes will be.
Remove and let cool. This can be done at day ahead
Remove skin from sweet potatoes and puree in a Cuisinart or with a hand-held mixer
Melt butter and maple syrup together and stir into puree. (Honestly, the more butter and syrup the better)
Scoop potato mixture into a plastic bag and snip one corner of the bag.
Making the Bacon Cups:
Cook Small Batch Maple Sugar Bacon Box Strips in muffin tins, wrapping one strip of bacon around the inside of each cup of a 12-muffin tin. Make foil forms and place these inside to help the strips hold their shape. Cook for approximately 20-25 minutes at 400°F/425°F degrees. (A side note: It helps to make the foil forms larger at the top to prevent the strips from collapsing in. You can even press the foil into lightly into the strip to maintain shape)
Remove bacon from the oven, let cool for 20 mins or so and then transfer to an oven-proof serving platter.
Filling the Bacon Cups:
Pipe potato mixture into the bacon cups.
Top either with mini marshmallows or large marshmallows halved and broil for three minutes—make sure to watch them so that they are golden brown on top.
