Spif's Sweet Potato Casserole

3 c. cooked yams, mashed
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. melted butter
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
1/3 c. milk
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Place sweet potatoes in a shallow baking pan lined with foil. Bake at 425° for 1 hour or until tender.

Peel sweet potatoes; place in a large bowl. Add butter and ingredients (through cinnamon); mash with a potato masher until pureed. Spoon potato mixture into a 2-quart glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray. Choose topping options. Place topping option 1 on now. If you choose topping option 2 top with marshmallows at end of cooking time and bake an additional 10 minutes until marshmallows are lightly browned.

Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Bake for 25 minutes at 350°.

Topping options:
Top with the following mixture before cooking:

1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. flour
2 1/2 T oleo
1/2 c. chopped pecans

OR TOP

Top with the following mixture after cooking and bake an additional 10 minutes until marshmallows are lightly browned.:
3 cups miniature marshmallows

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Bake With Freezing in Mind

Cook a casserole bound for the big chill without a streusel, crumb or chopped nut topping, which becomes soggy in a freeze-and-thaw cycle. Add the topping when you reheat the casserole to serve at a later date. Do not sprinkle cinnamon or nutmeg on top of the casserole before baking or freezing the dish. Spices can develop a slightly bitter aftertaste in the freezer. It is fine to incorporate seasonings into the sweet potato mixture before you bake it, however.

Cool the Casserole

Foods should be cooled gradually but quickly for safety and freshness. Cool the baked casserole to room temperature before you freeze it. An immediate shift from extreme hot to cold corrupts the textures of milk and cream, making them more prone to lumpiness. Sit the casserole dish in cool water to expedite the process. Change the water periodically to keep the water bath cool. Leave the casserole uncovered so that steam can escape. Evaporating steam accumulates under a lid, becomes ice, then melts onto the food when you thaw the casserole, making it soggy. Scoop the cooled casserole into a freezer-safe container if it's not already in one. Use moisture/vapor-resistant packaging such as plastic or heavy-duty aluminum foil to shield the casserole from the air in the freezer, which can make food taste stale.

Got You Covered

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap or aluminum foil directly on the casserole in the dish, then wrap another piece over the top rim of the container. Ice crystals are less likely to form if the covering contacts the food, creating a near-airtight seal. Place a tight-fitting lid on the container, if you have one.

Zero or Below

Freeze the casserole at or below 0 degree Fahrenheit. The temperature must remain 0 F or lower to keep it safe for later reheating and consumption. Do not place other frozen food on top of the casserole until it is thoroughly frozen, which takes approximately one day. It is best to reheat and serve the casserole within four weeks of freezing it. The flavor of sweet potatoes and the quality of dairy products decline after about one month in the freezer.