Yummy Yam Casserole

I put a review on this way back in 99 or 2000 and I have to say 7 or 8 years later, this is still a champion! I'll be forever grateful for this recipe. I thought the original poster would like to know how this recipe and her willingness to share it has become a family tradition in another person's home. My mother made something called 'Yam Puff' for years. Early in my marriage I could not find that favorite recipe and tried this one. This one was even better and I've now made it for 8 or 9 years straight. Thanks again! Thank you to all the wonderful people here who share their best-loved recipes.:-D

The hit of every Thanksgiving dinner I bring it to! I actually use yams from a can and it works just fine. Just drain most of the syrup before beating. This one will go in my Thanksgiving lineup for years to come!

I omitted the eggs and butter from the yam mixture and used orange juice instead to make it a little more healthy (and add a little extra citrus kick). It was really great this way, not heavy at all. I did however use the 1/4 melted butter for the topping. It was really tasty and I will surely make it again.

I have never made anything with yams or would not have even claimed to be a fan of yams in the past, but this recipe was delicious! A couple things I did differently: I peeled and cut the yams into medium pieces, put them in a microwave-safe bowl, added 1/2 cup water and microwaved them, covered, for 12 minutes. This made it much easier. Also, I halved this recipe. It was more than enough for 6 people. Another thing I did different, was I chopped the nuts and mixed them up with the butter and brown sugar and then sprinkled that mixture on top of the mashed yams. This casserole had just the right amount of sugar and spices. It was perfect! My two kids (4&3) loved it, too, which was nice for me! I think I might try adding a little orange juice next time I make it and see how that is. Thanks Liza!

Five Stars? YOU BET! This was fantastic. Readers: you are going to get tired of reading people saying, "I don't even like sweet potatoes/yams, but I LOVED this!" Because it's TRUE! I've never seen my mom eat yams and she ate more helpings than anyone else. This is an absolute keeper. Wonderful recipe, thanks so much!

Yam haters all agree! This is the bomb! Very easy to make and I love the ability to prepare earlier and freeze. A time saver and a delicious side dish.

I served this today to 12. It's tough to make a sweet potato casserole that doesn't "have legs", but I really like this one, and it went fast. It's a perfect combination of spices, easy to prepare, and you can easily cut the sugar and butter by a third and still have great results. I was very pleased with my guests' reaction. Thanks LL.

I've made this for 2 holiday dinners and got tons of compliments. My mother says "it tastes just like pumpin pie" I AGREE! It's excellent. Excellent flavor and this is a guiltless pleasure. I can't wait to make it again. Not good with ham..too many sweets! Better to accompany a saltier dinner.

i didnt like this recipe, but my family loved it. if you are going to reheat in the microwave, you make want to remove the pecans before

Excellent recipe! I've been making this for Thanksgiving for the past couple of years and it receives rave reviews every time! We have kids in our family from 15 months to 15 years old and this is enjoyed by all.

I can't help but notice that mostly everyone on this site uses yams and sweet potatoes interchangeably. They are actually not the same thing. I'm so happy to have found this recipe, because everytime I do a search for yams, it turns out that it calls for sweet potatoes. Thank you for getting it right. I find yams to have more flavor then sweet potatoes. I love yams, but usually casseroles are bland. This one did a lot better for me, and everyone asked me for the recipe. This is definitely a keeper for the holidays. Personally I'd give it a 4 and would probably rate that for anything using sweet potatoes and yams, but everyone else raved about it, so I'm going to give it a 5. I'm a tough critic :)

This is a good receipe. I only changed a couple of things. I used (2) large cans of Sweet Potatoes,no one noticed. THey were actually surprised when I told them. I also chopped the pecans,instead of leaving them whole on top.

Thank you for all your great reviews. I love to cook, and now do food photography! This dish is still one of my favorites.

I rated this years ago and I feel the need to rate it again! It's by far my favorite side dish at Thanksgiving. I peel and boil the potatoes, then mash them. Apparently I have to try it with marshmallows this year because we have someone coming with a nut allergy. I happen to prefer it with the nuts so I'm making two batches. Thanks for this great recipe!!

I made a bunch of things on Thanksgiving and this was my favorite. I made it the day before which saved time/energy the day of. And, the leftovers are just as yummy, too!

I have never, ever in my three decades on Earth liked sweet potatoes or yams, nor did four of my dinner mates. My husband adores candied yams with marshmallows. This recipe worked for us all. I used sweet potatoes (wrapped in foil and baked at 350 for 1-1/2 hours) and added marshmallows to half of the casserole (over the pecans), but otherwise did everything else as written. It was wonderful! The flavor was full and well rounded. The spices and butter melded perfectly and brought out the best part of the sweet potato flavor. I am saving this and will make it throughout the year. Thank you so much for sharing!

I only used 2 Tb brown sugar and 0 on top. So good!

I usually don't like yam, but this dish was sooo yummy, and all my guests loved it, too!

This is a quick and easy sweet potato casserole, especially light on cleanup, as you microwave the sweet potatoes to begin with. Everyone in my family enjoyed this very much as a Thanksgiving side dish: we all felt it tasted like pumpkin pie!

This was very good. I must admit, I used some frozen sweet potatoes instead of fresh yams. Regardless, it was wonderful! My brother remarked that it tasted more like a dessert than a side, but it wasn't too rich or sweet. I bet if I put this in a pie crust, people would eat it like a pumpkin pie. I might have to try that sometime.

This was a hit for Thanksgiving dinner - disappeared in 5 minutes.

Every Thanksgiving people ask me to make this. It's easy and a huge hit. I've fiddled with it a bit over the years with less sugar, no nuts, maple syrup etc and it's always good.

I am not a yam lover - I actually hate them! I came across this recipe and decided to give it a try. I cannot have another thanksgiving without serving this dish. It is the most delicious dish I've ever had and this is the ONLY way I will ever eat yams. Thank you to Liza for submitting such a wonderful recipe.

Very good and so easy to make! I don't like yams either but the hubby does. I usually open a can and heat it up. I thought this Thanksgiving would be different. NO CANS! Along with Cranberry Sauce I (from this site) everything was delicious! I even ate some myself.

This recipe is simple to make and tastes fantastic, I will make this again. Everyone loved it. Thanks for sharing. I didn't have nutmeg or allspice so I used 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice and it worked great.

This recipe is very close to one I make every year and I plan to make it ahead and freeze. There are not to many comments from folks who made the casserole ahead and froze it. Are there any problems there? Drynes? Defrosting and reheating should be included in the main recipe! I had to search the Thanksgiving menu for these instructions. I am searching for THE BEST make ahead recipes so I can enjoy my 20 Thanks giving guests who return year after year.

DO NOT PASS UP THIS RECIPE!! This recipe is exactly how people rate it, just wonderful! I put a little extra nuts though cuz I love the crunchiness constrasting with the smoothness of the yams. Just be careful when u take them out of the microwave-they're hot!

This was delicious! I will definitely make it again, but next time I will cut it in half. I served 10 people on Christmas Eve and there was still a lot left! Everyone loved it.

I have made this for Thanksgiving for the past several years for my family. Everyone in my family LOVES this dish, including the picky eaters! We were never big yam/sweet potato fans before this, but now everyone requests that this dish be served every Thanksgiving- this recipe will be included in our family cookbook! The only thing I changed about the recipe is that I use canned yams, because its a time saver. Other than that, this recipe is perfect!

I made this for our canadian thanksgiving on October 8, 2010 and it is delicious. I will be making this again as my family has now requested that I make it for special family dinners.

Absolutely delicious!! My entire family of non-yam eaters raved over it and all wanted the leftovers to take home. I crushed the pecans in the food processor to get a crunchy texture in every bite, and I also peeled, then boiled the yams to avoid the microwave mishaps. Everyone thought it tasted like pumpkin pie!

This is a great recipe but just to sweet. Made this twice and just keep backing off the white sugar. 1/2 cp is plenty.

Very good. I don't usually make anything with sweet potatoes (easily confused with yams in the U.S.) but was given several and decided to search for a good recipe. I saw the reviews for this one and made it-I like it. I also like that it can be frozen.

I was really nervous about making this. At first I thought I bought the wrong veg...but it came out fantastic! I didn't change a thing. Made the yams the night before and added the topping right before putting in the oven and it came out beautifully. Delicious and I will be making again and again. Thank you so much. This was my first Thanksgiving Dinner at my house and everything came out wonderfully, including this. God bless!

This is one of the standards for Thanksgiving in my family. The ONLY thing I do different is put marshmallows on the top instead of the pecan topping. But I am thinking this year I may put those marshmallows on top of the pecans.

What an easy and delicious casserole! I followed the directions a written and it came out a winner! I received many complements and had no left-overs. Thanks for posting such an easy and tasty recipe!

Every year I usually try to make something new for Thanksgiving and Christmas. With all of the wonderful reviews I read about this yam casserole recipe, I chose this one. I was a little dissapointed though. If there is something odd about a new recipe, I would usually make my own slight changes to it. But with this one, I didn't want to do that at all because I don't eat yams (not because I don't like them, but because I never had the erge to try them). Making it was easy. I made sure all my measurements were correct, the potatoes were soft enough, and I even went out and bought a 3 quart casserole dish, because I didn't have one. The filling did not come out sweet at all. In some of the reviews, I read that this can be considered a dessert. But it really wasn't sweet enough. I'm not saying that it tasted horrible, but I expected a little bit more out of the recipe. I rated this recipe 3 stars because only 2 people out of 10 at my dinner party liked it. Those 2 people ended up eating the whole thing. Sorry, but I will not be making this for Christmas or any time in the future.

I served this for Easter and the bowl was empty! Simple and sweet side dish for ham. Yams aren't just for turkey!

Good, but nothing GREAT! I like the pecans on top and I did decrease the butter!

I have tried alot of yam recipes, but this is by far the best one. Even my children loved it too, and they don't even like yams.

This recipe is easy and yummy. Tastes like dessert!

DELICIOUS! My family scarfed it up. It officially retired our "old" sweet potato dish. This is the first time making it, so I followed the recipe with two minor changes: Baked the yams in the oven (I had a microwave yam explosion once, it wasn't pretty!) and I already had walnuts on hand, so used those instead of pecans. Yummy is the perfect description!

I made this recipe twice already and it's fantastic and easy to make. Hats off to the submitter!!

Yummy! Yummy! Yummy! I slice it in the pan, freeze it, and then pop out individual servings into a zip lock bag. Then you can have it any time!

We love this recipe! I made it for the first time last year for Thanksgiving and have been making it ever since. I follow the recipe as written and wouldn't change a thing - it has turned out great everytime.

I added this recipe to our holiday dinner at the last minute. Hubby had picked up canned yams instead of fresh, so I used them in place of the baked yams. The results were wonderful. Can't wait to try it with baked yams. We all loved it, thanks!

I just finished reading an article on sweet potatoes (light or dark) and yams (brown/black, not really sold in the US), which are not the same thing. Just google sweet potatoes and do a little reading. Anyways, this is an awesome recipe my family enjoyed it when made with the New Jersey variety. However, they said they would have prefered the pecans chopped, not halved.

Very good! I used canned yams to save time, and it still turned out great. I will definitely make this again.

I tried to make this in the microwave and that is when things went terribly wrong for me. After cleaning up the horrible mess I made trying that I cooked the yams the old fashioned way and then followed the rest of the directions how they are written. What made that mishap worth it was how everyone loved the dish, even those who hate yams. My nephew hates most everything but had seconds of this and then asked for more. Yummy! :)

Delicious! The flavours blend so nicely in this dish. I did not have enough yams and added some butterbut squash which tased great too. I crushed the pecans for the top because I only had peices but next time I will use the full halves.

I have made this several times, but the only thing I change is I don't mash the Yams, I slice them length ways and layer them in a dish. Like first layer yams brown sugar dot with butter and I also mix the spices together and spinkle on each layer. Actully I have three layers cook for about 35 mins at 300 Degs. then put marshmellowa on top and put inoven for about maybe 5 mins. until top in brown.

Excellent! I used 2 cans of canned yams, since that is all I had on hand. So I halved the recipe, there was still more than enough for our family of four. By the way, my kids, who won't eat Yams, or Sweet Potatoes, LOVED THIS! My 12 year old went back for thirds! I actually told them it was pumpkin pie without the crust, so they would try it! It worked! The amounts are perfect, I wouldn't change it one bit! I forgot to add that I also chopped the pecans (chunky, not fine) and blended them with the brown sugar, then sprinkled on top and drizzled the melted butter over that.

thanks for sharing have been making this for a few years now and have to agree with angelkaren's review : )

OMG! Best yams ever. I took to a Thanksgiven potluck. Was a hit. I have been passing this recipe out since. Even those who do not like yams or have never tryed them loved it.

Good for people who don't like yams, not for those who do.

Out with to old in with new! This was the hit of our Thanks Giving Dinner. Everone said I should of made more. I do agree with others it does taste like pumkin pie. This will be on my table from now on, I'll never go back. Thank you, Thank you !

This dish made a believer out of all those folks who thought they hated sweet potatoes/yams!!! I roasted my yams in the oven first and then made the recipe just as written! Fantastic!!

I used canned yams and less sugar and they turned out fantastic! Raving reviews!

I make this for fall potlucks and at every Thanksgiving. It never fails -- someone always asks me for the recipe and EVERYONE loves it! I used to be a sweet potato-hater before this recipe but now I crave them!

this casserole tasted pretty good but i thought it's texture was a bit dry. i made the yams part as directed then froze it for a week to serve at thanksgiving. maybe that had something to do with the dryness? i also placed a few minature marshmellows over the topping before baking. thanks liza.

Taste like pumpkin pie

I have never cared for yams. I made this recipe last year and it is amazing. It now is a Thanksiving tradition in my home.

I've made this dish several times for many different people and each time some one always asks for the recipe.

Wow Excellent. Family members who have always "hated" sweet potatoes went back for seconds. I even heard the comment do we have to wait for Christmas to have it again? Thank you for sharing what will become a family classic

I just made this for Thanksgiving. It was VERY good and got rave reviews from everyone. Definitely will make this one again!Great recipe! (Didnt have to make any changes to it)

I thought this was delicious and I don't consider myself much of a yam lover. I baked this for a thanksgiving feast at the school I work at. I chose this recipe because it looked easy and it was. I have only made 2 or 3 recipes from scratch. (I'm only 22) Everyone just loved this dish and several of my student's parents have asked for the recipe. I plan to make it again this Thanksgiving and every Thanksgiving from now on! Thank you for sharing this recipe with us!

Excellent. I had been looking for a dish like mom's "yam puff" and had tried many things. Well she is here this year, but couldn't find her recipe and I found this. It is BETTER than mom's yam puff!!! Great recipe. I think this will be a holiday treat for many years to come. BTW, my 4 yr old would never try yams before, but she kept taking small bites of this and saying it tasted like pumpkin pie;-)

This turned out wonderful - exactly what I expected! It was sweet, but no sweeter than the candied yams my grandma makes every year. My mom and I even ate the leftovers for breakfast with coffee! Will be making this again!

This is a very sweet dish. Everyone at thanksgiving agreed that it was more of a dessert than a side dish. I may use this recipe for the filling of a sweet potato pie.

very yummy, kinda tasted like a pumkin pie.

Amazing! I was taking a risk by not doing my and my inlaws traditional marshmellow canned yams hehe but Wow this turned out sooo flavorful and was a huge hit. My boyfriend said he never even like yams until this and had seconds too. Oh and was a sinch to put together!

Made this casserole just the way it is written and loved the yam part. Lovely texture and not too sweet. Would try to do something to the topping as others have suggested next time.

I didn't follow the recipe to the T. I actually used the yams from a can (2 lbs). Will say this, with the can, you don't need to cook it however, you do need to drain all the syrup out! I let a little bit stay in and it made my whole dish a little runny. But the taste was still great!

absolutely fantastic ... and so impressive!

Quite sweet - tastes a bit like pumpkin pie. It was the first time all my kids love eating yams.

I've been a member since 2006 and make this time and again. My whole family and guests always LOVE this. My 13 year old and I actually get cravings and will make this just for that. He raves that its "just like pumpkin pie" I LOVE it with stuffing ie...sweet and salty ;)

Yep, it was a winning recipe at our Thanksgiving table. Made the recipe exactly as written. I preferred the pecans to be crushed into smaller pieces. Thanks for sharing!

very good recipe, sweet & rich. (was my first attempt at a sweet potato/yam casserole, glad it turned out so well!) i did about half the recipe, using 4 smallish sweet potatoes and an 8x8 pyrex dish. peeling the microwaved sweet potatoes was a bit tricky for me, parts of the skin didn't want to come off, next time i might try peeling, cubing and boiling them instead! could have used a few more potatoes to fill up the dish, but i made plenty of topping, and the combo is delicious! i chopped the pecans and mixed them with the brown sugar, placed on top, then drizzled with butter. i added a splash of vanilla to the potato mixture, and left out the nutmeg and allspice, but it still was great! thanks for the recipe!

Wow! This recipe really is great as the previous reviewers said! Delicious. I might increase the spices some and add more brown sugar on top next time.

The best ever!! I usually make 2 batches for Thanksgiving, one with pecans painstakingly shaped into a turkey on top and one topped with marshmellows. The one with the marshmellows always go fast and the pecan one barely gets touched, this year, I am making 2 batches with the marshmellows on top.

Oh how divine!! The consistancy is just perfect, the sweetness just right, whole family enjoyed this, even the kids! Thanks for a great alternative to those cloying, marshmallowy sweet potato casseroles!!

Very good recipe. I used two large cans of yams and no other modifications.

Excellent recipe, everyone who ate it, loved it.

This casserole did somewhat taste like pumpkin pie. It's a very sweet good looking dish, but it did not go over well with our family this christmas.

there is an error 30min + 25min cook time= 55mins not 1hr 55mins may want to correct this. DELICIOUS RECIPE!!!

I have made this recipe multiple times with zero changes,which for me is rare, but this recipe is absolute perfection just the way it is. Every time I make this it gets devoured and I have multiple people asking for the recipe. I'd give this more stars if I could ??

wow - its fantastic! peeling the potatoes was a bit tricky for me (I'm a novice) but otherwise easy. absolutely delicious & worth the peeling, to be sure.

Very yummy indeed. No sweet potato hater converts, though, but everyone enjoyed it!

Since I used canned yams, I skipped Step 2. This recipe is good if you want a sweet sensation during the meal instead of just at dessert.

This recipe was delicious, you do not need a blender if you have a strong mixing arm. I froze half of it and am looking forward to another dish. I do not like how much butter it calls for but it tastes so good.

Excellent. I prepared this for on my husbands side Christmas dinner...who are really picky. It was a hit and really easy to make.

I followed the recipe exactly. First time I've ever made yams. I would be tempted to add more pecans next time, just because I love pecans. This dish was awesome. I didn't even cook it for thanksgiving... I made it since yams are so good for you. This was almost like a dessert, like a pumpkin pie filling, but not quite that sweet. Not quite as good the second day, but awesome right out of the oven! Everyone loved it!

I made this for my husband specifically for Thanksgiving. I was looking for a grown up "candied yam" recipe that my family would enjoy. I am not a fan of sweet potatoes or yams, and I did not expect to like this. It was actually my favorite dish on Thanksgiving. It is going to be a Thanksgiving staple from now on. I used a food processor to "mash" the sweet potatoes. And I used Mrs Dash, instead of salt. :)

I liked this, but made about 2x the topping because that was the best part. It's sort of an intermediate between savoury and dessert, which I find odd, but on the whole pretty good.

this had too much cinammon, nutmeg, allspice flavor to it. Not a keeper at my house.

Everyone loved this at Christmas!

OMG - this was the most favorite part of the CHristmas dinner at my house, as voted by the ten people at the table. It was unanimous. You can't miss with this one. Really really good!

I think this is an excellent recipe but it felt like it was missing something. I am going to make it again because it was delicious but I am going to add apples and because I like my yams candied, a few marshmallows.

I've finally found a yam recipe for Thanksgiving that isn't just a placeholder, like my old baked yams with marshmallows. This casserole was a favorite of all yam eaters this last year, and rated the best ever yam casserole by several attendees. I loved it and will make it again.