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Yam Casserole

A baked casserole of mashed yams with orange juice, bourbon, and a praline topping.

From the Wikibooks Cookbook · 10 ingredients
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Why it works: Orange and ginger match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,833 recipes. Both carry 1-octen-3-one, which smells mushroom, metallic. The science ↓

Yam Casserole

10–12
Oven350 °F (180 °C)
Time45–50 minutes

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Beat yams in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer.

  2. Add the remaining main ingredients, beating until the mixture is light and fluffy.

  3. Butter a 12‑inch porcelain quiche dish or a shallow 2‑quart casserole dish (7x11 inches / 18 × 28 cm).

  4. Pour the yam mixture into the dish, smoothing the top evenly.

Top and assemble

  1. Make the praline topping by mixing all ingredients together in a small bowl.

  2. Spread the topping evenly over the yams.

  3. The casserole may be refrigerated, covered, overnight.

Bake and serve

  1. Bake at 350 °F (180 °C) for 45–50 minutes, or until golden brown and bubbly.

  2. Remove from the oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

460Calories
12 gProtein
17 gFat
67 gCarbs

Counts 8 of 9 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 8 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Potato1 medium (173g) baked161
Butter1 tbsp (14g)102
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Orange1 medium (131g)62
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Pepper1 tsp ground (2.3g)6
Ginger1 tsp grated fresh (2g)2
Salt1 tsp (6g)0
Yamnot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Wikibooks Cookbook.

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Orange + gingertop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together1,833 recipes

    Shared aroma: 1-octen-3-one (mushroom, metallic).

  2. Yam + gingertop 8% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together31 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

  3. Ginger + peppertop 9% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together6,800 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).

  4. Orange + peppertop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together2,402 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethyl 2-methylbutyrate (fruity, apple).

  5. Yam + peppertop 12% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together111 recipes

    Shared aroma: coumarin (sweet, hay).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Yams or sweet potatoes
Provides the main body, starch and moisture of the casserole.
Egg yolks
Enrich the mixture and help it set into a soft, custard-like texture when baked.
Butter
Adds fat for richness and helps the topping brown and taste rich.
Brown sugar
Adds sweetness and molasses flavor, and helps the topping caramelize and brown.
Orange juice
Adds moisture and bright acidity that balances the sweetness.
Bourbon
Adds aromatic, woody flavor that deepens the sweet potato taste.

The step that matters

Bake until golden and bubbly. The egg yolks set the filling as it heats, and the sugars brown on the surface. Stopping at the visible signs keeps the custard tender, while overbaking can make it dry and tough.

Swap the yam

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (orange, ginger, butter, sugar, egg, pepper):

  1. Capsicumfits better
  2. Carrotfits better
  3. Sweet potatofits better
  4. Yamthe original

Fit is the average pairing score against orange, ginger, butter, sugar, egg, pepper. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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