If you’re looking for a new way to prepare a classic Thanksgiving side dish, this is for you.
We just love sweet potatoes (or yams) and they are quintessential holiday fare. We have made candied yams for years, but just recently started serving these gems. They are easy to make, and so much of it can be prepared in advance. And they are always one of the most popular dishes of the feast!
How To Make Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
First of all, you may be wondering, “Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?” The answer is yes. A yam is a type of sweet potato. Want to learn more about this? Click here.
Now, onto making these delicious spuds.
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The Ingredients You Will Need
The ingredients for this are simple and straightforward, but all combine to make a truly classic holiday dish.
Here are the ingredients you will need:
Sweet potatoes – Try and pick ones that are uniform in size. Medium-sized are perfect.
Brown sugar – Light or brown will work perfectly.
Butter – Unsalted and room temperature
Cream cheese – Room temperature
Maple syrup – 100% pure, not pancake syrup
Spices – Ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger
Salt and pepper – For depth of flavor
EXPERT TIP: Baking the sweet potatoes for 60 minutes at 350°F should cook them perfectly. But just to be sure, insert a sharp knife into one of the potatoes are an hour of baking. The knife should easily cut into the flesh of the potato. If there is any resistance, return them to the oven for another 10 to 15 minutes. Be sure to let them cool before proceeding.
Tips For Making Perfect Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Scrub the Sweet Potatoes – Though many folks won’t eat the skin, you’ll still want to make sure it is completely cleaned. You may notice thin strands of root growing out of the potatoes. Simply pull them away before baking. If desired, you can rub the potatoes with oil (ie, vegetable or olive) and then sprinkle them with salt.
Keep An Eye On Them – Once the loaded potatoes are topped with the mini marshmallows and go back into the oven, you’ll want to keep a close eye on them. If should take about 15 minutes at 375°F for the marshmallows to become slightly browned on top, but, because some oven temperatures vary, it may take less time. Marshmallows burn quickly, so watching them closely is important. Be sure to serve immediately so the filling is nice and warm.
Do Ahead – The potatoes can be completely prepared in advance up to the final baking. Assemble them on a baking pan and then gently cover with plastic wrap or dry kitchen towels. 20 minutes before serving, place them into your preheated oven.
How To Serve
We love to pull out a large platter and place all of the freshly baked potatoes on them and then let folks grab their own with a spatula or a pair of tongs.
If you have a huge spread of dishes on your holiday table, you could easily split the stuffed sweet potatoes in half after the second baking.
However, we find that most folks are perfectly happy to have an entire twice-baked sweet potato for themselves.
EXPERT TIP: When filling the potatoes with the filling, fill each potato just to the top, without mounding too high. You will notice that you have more filling left. This is when you can evenly mound the remaining filling across each sweet potato. The filling is delicious when served by itself, too.
Other Classic Thanksgiving Side Dishes
Of course, we all love the centerpiece of the holiday table. You can’t go wrong with perfect roast turkey, spatchcocked turkey, herb-roasted turkey breast, deep-fried turkey, honey bourbon glazed ham, or slow-cooker spiral ham.
But what about those classic sides? No holiday feast would be the same without them. Here are some of our favorites that you might want to check out:
Cranberry and Sausage Cornbread Dressing
Best Mashed Potatoes
Au Gratin Potatoes (Dauphinoise)
Hasselback Potatoes
Gourmet Green Bean Casserole
Mashed Cauliflower with Roasted Garlic
Brussels Sprouts Gratin
Creamy Corn Casserole
Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese
Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
In the meantime, aren’t these twice-baked sweet potatoes awesome? They are the perfect match for all of your Turkey Day dishes!
This has become a classic holiday dish at our house and is always requested by family members to be on the menu.
Since the potatoes can be fully assembled (up to baking) in advance, it gives you more time during the “crunch” time before serving the big feast.
These sweet potatoes are perfect for any holiday dinner, but they’re so good, we fix them throughout the year!
Ready to make the best Thanksgiving side dish this side of the Mayfair? Go for it!
And when you do, be sure to take a photo of them, post it on Instagram, and tag @HowToFeedaLoon and hashtag #HowToFeedaLoon!
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Video
Equipment
- 1 baking sheet lined with foil
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean
- 3 tablespoon brown sugar
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 pinch Kosher salt and black pepper (each)
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- Cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted easily pierces the flesh. Let cool until cool enough to handle, about 30 minutes.6 medium sweet potatoes
- Use a sharp knife to cut out a diamond shape of the skin on the top (lengthwise) of each potato. Peel away the diamond-shaped piece of skin. Use a spoon to scoop out most of the flesh leaving a mostly hollow skin (it's okay if you don't get all of the flesh removed).
- Transfer the scooped-out flesh to a large bowl and add the brown sugar, butter, cream cheese, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, salt, and pepper. Use a hand mixer or wooden spoon to mix until mostly smooth (it's okay if it's a little lumpy).3 tablespoon brown sugar, 4 tablespoon unsalted butter, 4 oz cream cheese, ¼ cup maple syrup, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ¼ teaspoon ground ginger, 1 pinch Kosher salt and black pepper (each)
- Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Cover the baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spary.Cooking spray
- Spoon the sweet potato filling into all of the potatoes. You can mound the filling somewhat for each one. Top with marshmallows and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the marshmallows are lightly browned (keep an eye on them, don't let the marshmallows burn!). Serve at once.2 cups mini marshmallows
Ronald Henness says
Dear Gentleman,
after sweet potatoes are mixed you could put the mixture in a piping bag and fill up the skins. This worked very well for me,
Thanks much
Ron Henness
Kris Longwell says
Sounds awesome and would make for a beautiful presentation! Thanks for sharing and for the GREAT review! That means the world to us! Happy Holidays!
Kris & Wesley