Sweet Potatoes (candied yams)

By tpriddy_1

The best -- I make them every year

Ingredients

• 5 lbs orange-fleshed yams - about 6 large
• 1/2 cup butter cut into small pieces plus a little extra for greasing
• 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• salt and pepper
• 1 3/4 cups marshmallows (optional)
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400. Prick the yams several times with a fork. Put them in the oven until just tender, about an hour. Transfer the yams to a rack and let them cool to room temperature. Cover loosely and let stand overnight at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350. Choose a 9x13 baking dish and grease well.

Peel the yams and cut into slices 1/2 inch thick. Arrange the slices, overlapping them, in the prepared dish. Sprinkle yams with brown sugar and butter pieces. Season with salt and pepper. Tightly cover dish with foil and bake until hot and steaming, about 25 minutes.
Uncover dish, scatter marshmallows over the yams. Drizzle the orange over the yams. Return the dish to the oven and bake another 15 minutes
Season to taste

Make ahead tips:
The yams should be baked a day in advance to allow them to cool and firm up before assembling the dish. The dish can be assembled, covered with foil, and held at room temperature for several hours before baking.