This sensational side was a last minute surprise. And, what’s not to love: sweet potatoes, candied pecans and topped with gooey marshmallows. I ran out of room in my kitchen oven and remembered my cooker so I decided to cook the casserole in my Goldens’ Cast Iron Cooker ̶ I’m glad I did! This has become a family favorite and I’ve been asked to bring it to all our family get-togethers.
- 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1 inch pieces
- 1 cup of chopped candied pecans
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened (divided)
- 1/4 cup of light brown sugar
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla, butter nut flavoring or Vanilla extract (divided)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
- 2 cups of mini marshmallows
If not already set up with a ham, set your cooker for smoking, using the configuration (shown on the left) & bring the temperature up to 350 degrees. Monitor cooking temperature throughout process and adjust vents as needed to keep temperature consistently 350 degrees. Spray an oven-safe casserole dish with cooking spray and set over to the side.
Place your sweet potato pieces in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Cook the potatoes until they are tender, then drain and mash with a potato masher. While the potatoes are cooking, let’s get started on our pecans.
Melt 1/4 cup of the unsalted butter in a small frying pan, add 1/4 tablespoon of flavoring or extract, sugar and chopped pecans to the pan. Cook on low heat until the butter has melted stirring the mixture occasionally. Pour the pecan mixture into an shallow aluminum foil-covered roasting pan and toast until the pecans are golden brown. Watch this step closely; you don’t want to burn your pecans.
Once your potatoes are cooked and mashed, mix in the candied pecans, butter, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and flavoring. Pour the mixture into a casserole dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray and top the casserole with your mini marshmallows. Carefully place your casserole dish on your cooker and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the center of your casserole is warmed through.
Carefully remove your smokey sweet potato casserole from the cooker and let sit for about 10 minutes before digging in. Enjoy!
