Granny’s Candied Yams
Leading Lady Spotlight: This recipe comes straight from Ronnie’s Mom / Charlie’s Granny’s / my Mother-in-Law’s kitchen… Alleise. When I think of her, I think of the unconditional love she shows her family, calling every day, rain or shine, just to check in and remind them how much she cares. Before my first holiday with the Caldwell family, Ronnie warned me to arrive with an empty stomach so I’d have room for Uncle Buck’s meats, Debra’s dressing, Pat’s greens, Shay’s mac, and, of course, Alleise’s yams. He was right, it was a feast!!! I left full to the gills and now look forward to every holiday we share together. When Alleise visits us, she always fills our kitchen with her yams, mac, curry chicken, and enough other goodness to feed an army, making sure I don’t have to think twice about cooking for days. And so I recommend sharing this recipe with the family members who love you through and through, rain or shine, and who care for you without asking anything in return.
What You’ll Need
3 lbs sweet potatoes (about 5 medium), washed, peeled, and sliced into ½-inch rounds
8 tbs unsalted butter (sliced into squares, plus more for extra for greasing the dish)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
How to Make
Preheat oven to 350°F.
First, let’s arrange our sweet potatoes in their cooking dish.
Arrange sliced sweet potatoes in a butterered 9x13-inch baking dish.
Now, let’s make our sauce
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together: butter granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Once combined, stir in vanilla extract.
Next, pour your sauce over the potatoes.
Pour mixture over the sweet potatoes. Use a wooden spoon or hands to coat each slice evenly.
Finally, let’s get it in the oven!
Cover with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, gently toss/rotate potatoes to coat again. Bake uncovered for 40 minutes more, or until potatoes are tender and syrupy (but not falling apart). Let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
