Sunny Anderson's Marshmallow Trick To Revamp Leftover Sweet Potatoes

In case you get overzealous with your batch of sweet potatoes and overestimate guests' serving sizes and appetite levels, Sunny Anderson has a trick to give leftovers new life. Anderson, co-host of Food Network's "The Kitchen," admits via The Rachel Ray Show that in her family, marshmallows crown most sweet potato casserole recipes. The problem is that this sweet layer of sugary goodness is the first to be scooped up by hungry hands. To ensure each bite of sweet potato casserole is served as the rightful combination of sweet and savory flavors, Anderson has developed a cooking hack that packs a bit of charred marshmallow taste into each spoonful.

Since 1917, sweet potatoes cooked with marshmallows have been placed on dinner tables (via Vice). So whether you're serving your grandma's casserole recipe straight out of the oven or reheating a store-bought dish for the next day's leftovers, Anderson has a trick that is simple and easy to replicate, regardless of the sweet potato recipe you make.

The Rachel Ray Show shows Anderson first toasting marshmallows, similar to what you might do when making s'mores at home. The charred marshmallows will add a smoky essence to the sweet potatoes, Anderson says. Be careful, however, if you use your oven's broiler to toast them since the sugary treats can burn fast; two minutes will suffice. Furthermore, Hotel Chocolat recommends placing the marshmallows on a non-stick baking sheet and setting the oven to around 390 degrees Fahrenheit.

Once the marshmallows have been charred, Anderson stirs the gooey batch directly into mashed sweet potatoes that have been blended with oil, cream, flour, brown sugar, butter, pumpkin pie spice, and eggs. Then, the dish is placed into the oven to cook.

As the batch bakes, the marshmallow pieces will melt directly into the sweet potatoes, ensuring that each scoop will contain both sweet and savory elements. Finally, Anderson tops the baked dish with a crumble made from flour, brown sugar, butter, pecans, sage, and orange zest to add an extra crunch. We are certain this recipe will have guests reaching for more, no matter when it is served.