This dish has been a staple at our Thanksgiving meals for 20+ years, thanks to our niece, Beth. It’s sweet, but not terribly sweet, as long as you don’t overdo the marshmallow topping—and I personally love adding some salt after it’s served. It’s easy to make, requires few ingredients, and reheats beautifully—which is great news because you’ll want leftovers. It’s delicious and surprisingly light.

Prep time: 20 minutes + 1 hour to bake; Total: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Yields: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

4 large yams (you can also use 1 large can–40 oz—drain the syrup)

4 egg whites

½ cup warm milk

2 sticks butter (softened) (note: Beth uses a little less butter; I use the entire amount:)

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup sugar

1 bag of mini marshmallows or 1 jar marshmallow Fluff (note: we’ve had these both ways, and both ways are good. Mini marshmallows work better, in my opinioinFluff is hard to spread. Mini marshmallows will be easier and more uniform for a better presentation. )

Preheat oven to 350⁰F

  1. Yams can be cooked the night before and reheated right before you make the dish
  2. Mix warm yams and softened butter until all lumps are out (5 minutes)
  3. Mix in sugar and milk
  4. In separate bowl, beat egg whites to peak
  5. Fold egg whites into yam mixture
  6. Transfer to baking/casserole dish and bake for one hour
  7. Top with mini marshmallows or Fluff, and broil until brown and puffy (5 -or-so minutes but watch closely)