Baked yams - need advice

Hey all, I need some advise for Thanksgiving dinner.

My family has always had a very sweet candied yams casserole for holidays.
I love them that way. No one in partner's family likes it. Well I started
using a less sweet recipe, and they don't like it either! Our eldest aunt
only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I like them that way too. With
the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would like to bake them ahead. I am
thinking that if I bake them in with the turkey, and when done scooping them
out of the skins and put into a dish to keep hot and serve as is. Each
person can butter their serving as they see fit. Will they keep okay for
several hours and be good this way? I have always eaten them fresh baked
from the skin, boiled and mashed, or in a sweet casserole.

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

Later,

Dale P

On Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:21:12 -0700, "Dale P" <dalep@yahoot.com> wrote:

-->Hey all, I need some advise for Thanksgiving dinner.
-->
-->My family has always had a very sweet candied yams casserole for holidays.
-->I love them that way. No one in partner's family likes it. Well I started
-->using a less sweet recipe, and they don't like it either! Our eldest aunt
-->only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I like them that way too. With
-->the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would like to bake them ahead. I am
-->thinking that if I bake them in with the turkey, and when done scooping them
-->out of the skins and put into a dish to keep hot and serve as is. Each
-->person can butter their serving as they see fit. Will they keep okay for
-->several hours and be good this way? I have always eaten them fresh baked
-->from the skin, boiled and mashed, or in a sweet casserole.
-->
-->Thanks for any thoughts on this.
-->
-->Later,
-->
-->Dale P


Less sugar but sweet enough.


* Exported from MasterCook *

CANDIED YAMS

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 6-8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Side Dish

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
3 lb Med-size sweet potatoes
1/2 c Sugar
1 1/2 tb Cornstarch
1 1/2 c Water
2 ts Vanilla
1/2 c Firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 ts Ground cinnamon

Miniature marshmallows (optional)

Scrub sweet potatoes and cook in boiling water covered 25 to 40
minutes or just until tender (don't overcook). Rinse under cold
water to stop cooking process; drain on paper towels. Peel and set
aside.

Combine sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan; stir in water until
smooth. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly
until sugar melts. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut potatoes into chunks or slices and
arrange in a single layer in a greased shallow 2-quart baking dish.
Pour sugar mixture evenly over potatoes. Combine brown sugar and
cinnamon; sprinkle evenly on top. Bake for 30 minutes. If desired,
drop some marshmallows over potatoes after 20 minutes of baking time.

On Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:21:12 -0700, "Dale P" <dalep@yahoot.com> wrote:
>I am
>thinking that if I bake them in with the turkey, and when done scooping them
>out of the skins and put into a dish to keep hot and serve as is. Each
>person can butter their serving as they see fit. Will they keep okay for
>several hours and be good this way? I have always eaten them fresh baked
>from the skin, boiled and mashed, or in a sweet casserole.
>
I think you have a good grasp on what you need to do. Go for it. I
don't think your yams will suffer.

--
I love cooking with wine.
Sometimes I even put it in the food.

Dale P wrote:
> Hey all, I need some advise for Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> My family has always had a very sweet candied yams casserole for
> holidays. I love them that way. No one in partner's family likes it.
> Well I started using a less sweet recipe, and they don't like it
> either! Our eldest aunt only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I
> like them that way too. With the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would
> like to bake them ahead. I am thinking that if I bake them in with the
> turkey, and when done scooping them out of the skins and put into a dish
> to keep hot and serve as is. Each person can butter their serving as
> they see fit. Will they keep okay for several hours and be good this
> way? I have always eaten them fresh baked from the skin, boiled and
> mashed, or in a sweet casserole.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts on this.
>
> Later,
>
> Dale P

I am with the other side of the family. I simply roast them until the
gooey sugar is dripping and caramelized. Tons of flavor and sweetness
from all of the sugar that is in the yams ans some nice crunchy skin on
the upper half. We like them skin on. I just slice them and serve. I
always roast them with the meat because it doesn't involve anything more
than washing them and putting them on the rack with a square of foil
underneath. You can roast them ahead of time and reheat but they don't
taste nearly as good

In article <dbadnQbWaeQHiWPXnZ2dnUVZ_uidnZ2d@earthlink.com> ,
"Dale P" <dalep@yahoot.com> wrote:

> Hey all, I need some advise for Thanksgiving dinner.
>
> My family has always had a very sweet candied yams casserole for holidays.
> I love them that way. No one in partner's family likes it. Well I started
> using a less sweet recipe, and they don't like it either! Our eldest aunt
> only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I like them that way too. With
> the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would like to bake them ahead. I am
> thinking that if I bake them in with the turkey, and when done scooping them
> out of the skins and put into a dish to keep hot and serve as is. Each
> person can butter their serving as they see fit. Will they keep okay for
> several hours and be good this way? I have always eaten them fresh baked
> from the skin, boiled and mashed, or in a sweet casserole.
>
> Thanks for any thoughts on this.
>
> Later,
>
> Dale P

I could have lost something here, Dale, but as you describe your
finished dish (potato flesh in a dish), I think you can bake them
whenever you wish and put the flesh into a baking dish and REheat it at
will; i.e., I wouldn't worry about *keeping* them hot, but would simply
reheat them. It sounds like you won't be preparing many of them so
nuking them shouldn't take but a minute or two. Does this make sense?
--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
http://web.me.com/barbschaller - Who Said Chickens Have Fingers?
10-30-2009

"George" <george@nospam.invalid> wrote in message
news:hdm6s5$30t$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> Dale P wrote:
>> Hey all, I need some advise for Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>> My family has always had a very sweet candied yams casserole for
>> holidays. I love them that way. No one in partner's family likes it.
>> Well I started using a less sweet recipe, and they don't like it either!
>> Our eldest aunt only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I like them
>> that way too. With the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would like to
>> bake them ahead. I am thinking that if I bake them in with the turkey,
>> and when done scooping them out of the skins and put into a dish to keep
>> hot and serve as is. Each person can butter their serving as they see
>> fit. Will they keep okay for several hours and be good this way? I have
>> always eaten them fresh baked from the skin, boiled and mashed, or in a
>> sweet casserole.
>>
>> Thanks for any thoughts on this.
>>
>> Later,
>>
>> Dale P
>
> I am with the other side of the family. I simply roast them until the
> gooey sugar is dripping and caramelized. Tons of flavor and sweetness from
> all of the sugar that is in the yams ans some nice crunchy skin on the
> upper half. We like them skin on. I just slice them and serve. I always
> roast them with the meat because it doesn't involve anything more than
> washing them and putting them on the rack with a square of foil
> underneath. You can roast them ahead of time and reheat but they don't
> taste nearly as good

I agree about the skin on being better, but I am thinking that the plates
are so full on Thanksgiving, that maybe just the potato would be easier to
handle.

Thanks,
Dale

"Melba's Jammin'" <barbschaller@earthlink.net> wrote in message
news:barbschaller-F5DDF1.08010414112009@news.iphouse.com...
> In article <dbadnQbWaeQHiWPXnZ2dnUVZ_uidnZ2d@earthlink.com> ,
> "Dale P" <dalep@yahoot.com> wrote:
>
>> Hey all, I need some advise for Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>> My family has always had a very sweet candied yams casserole for
>> holidays.
>> I love them that way. No one in partner's family likes it. Well I
>> started
>> using a less sweet recipe, and they don't like it either! Our eldest
>> aunt
>> only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I like them that way too.
>> With
>> the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would like to bake them ahead. I am
>> thinking that if I bake them in with the turkey, and when done scooping
>> them
>> out of the skins and put into a dish to keep hot and serve as is. Each
>> person can butter their serving as they see fit. Will they keep okay for
>> several hours and be good this way? I have always eaten them fresh baked
>> from the skin, boiled and mashed, or in a sweet casserole.
>>
>> Thanks for any thoughts on this.
>>
>> Later,
>>
>> Dale P
>
> I could have lost something here, Dale, but as you describe your
> finished dish (potato flesh in a dish), I think you can bake them
> whenever you wish and put the flesh into a baking dish and REheat it at
> will; i.e., I wouldn't worry about *keeping* them hot, but would simply
> reheat them. It sounds like you won't be preparing many of them so
> nuking them shouldn't take but a minute or two. Does this make sense?
> --
> -Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
> http://web.me.com/barbschaller - Who Said Chickens Have Fingers?
> 10-30-2009

Yea, that is what I want to do. I am thinking that they can join all of the
other side dishes keeping warm in the oven as we do the carving and final
prep for dinner. I only have one 30 inch oven in my kitchen. There is a
small oven in the basement, but I haven't used it in years as it is not
convenient.

Thanks,

Dale

On Sat, 14 Nov 2009 07:16:18 -0500, George <george@nospam.invalid>
wrote:

>Dale P wrote:
>> Hey all, I need some advise for Thanksgiving dinner.
>>
>> My family has always had a very sweet candied yams casserole for
>> holidays. I love them that way. No one in partner's family likes it.
>> Well I started using a less sweet recipe, and they don't like it
>> either! Our eldest aunt only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I
>> like them that way too. With the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would
>> like to bake them ahead. I am thinking that if I bake them in with the
>> turkey, and when done scooping them out of the skins and put into a dish
>> to keep hot and serve as is. Each person can butter their serving as
>> they see fit. Will they keep okay for several hours and be good this
>> way? I have always eaten them fresh baked from the skin, boiled and
>> mashed, or in a sweet casserole.
>>
>> Thanks for any thoughts on this.
>>
>> Later,
>>
>> Dale P
>
>I am with the other side of the family. I simply roast them until the
>gooey sugar is dripping and caramelized. Tons of flavor and sweetness
>from all of the sugar that is in the yams ans some nice crunchy skin on
>the upper half. We like them skin on. I just slice them and serve. I
>always roast them with the meat because it doesn't involve anything more
>than washing them and putting them on the rack with a square of foil
>underneath. You can roast them ahead of time and reheat but they don't
>taste nearly as good

You mean like so:
http://i34.tinypic.com/f1yyp3.jpg

I don't slice them, each person can slice their own... they keep hot
in the oven until ready to serve. I buy them on the small to medium
sized, all evenly sized and configured for even baking.

Dale P wrote:
> Our eldest aunt only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I like
> them that way too. With the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would
> like to bake them ahead. I am thinking that if I bake them in with
> the turkey, and when done scooping them out of the skins and put into
> a dish to keep hot and serve as is.

For ease and convenience, I would bake the yams and serve them in the
skin. Choose yams on the smallish side, since like you mentioned,
people's plates will be full.


Becca

"Becca" <becca@hal-pc.org> wrote in message
news:7m8fpgF3gpbg9U2@mid.individual.net...
> Dale P wrote:
>> Our eldest aunt only likes yams plain baked. No problem, as I like them
>> that way too. With the hubbub of Thanksgiving dinner, I would like to
>> bake them ahead. I am thinking that if I bake them in with the turkey,
>> and when done scooping them out of the skins and put into a dish to keep
>> hot and serve as is.
>
> For ease and convenience, I would bake the yams and serve them in the
> skin. Choose yams on the smallish side, since like you mentioned,
> people's plates will be full.
>
>
> Becca

That is a good point, but it seems that they are all medium to huge this
time of year. We have two very nice ones going into the oven soon for our
Saturday night dinner. I had to go through the pile just to find two medium
ones for tonight. I am thinking that I could set them out in the skins and
have a large spoon handy for those who may want to scoop it our onto their
plate. I would prefer mine that way on Thanksgiving.

Thanks,

Dale