Side Dish With a Squishy Surprise

Everyone on my side of the family loves sweet potatoes, and we eat them quite often. Hubby is even a willing participant every time, even though he is not their biggest fan. It was no surprise when it was discovered that our oldest nephew enjoys them as much as the rest of the family.

This Paula Deen recipe is one of the many ways that we enjoy making sweet potatoes. I felt that it was appropriate to share just in time for your holiday cooking.

Sweet Potato Balls:

4 large sweet potatoes
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 cups shredded coconut, sweetened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 large marshmallow per potato ball


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake the potatoes until tender, then peel and mash them. Stir in the brown sugar, orange juice, zest and nutmeg. In a separate bowl, toss the coconut with the sugar and cinnamon. Press mashed potatoes around each marshmallow, creating a 2 to 3-inch diameter ball. Roll the balls in the coconut mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Watch carefully for the last few minutes of cooking; the expanding marshmallows can cause the potato balls to burst open.