Lunch Lady Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes - quick and easy sweet potato casserole that is a childhood lunchroom favorite. Sweet potatoes, butter, brown sugar, orange juice, ground nutmeg, ground cinnamon, and dried cranberries. Super simple to make and tastes great. Ready to eat in under an hour. Great side dish for potlucks, holiday meals, and summer cookouts.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Drain sweet potatoes, reserving ½ cup of syrup.
Cut potatoes into bite-sized pieces and place in the bottom of the baking dish.
In a small saucepan, combine butter, brown sugar, orange juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and reserved syrup.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and stir in dried cranberries.
Pour glaze over sweet potatoes.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 to 30 minutes.
Notes:
This recipe uses 70-oz of sweet potatoes.
I use Bruce's Yams - Cut Sweet Potatoes in Syrup. While they are called yams on the can, they are actually sweet potatoes. Most of the time you are eating yams, you are probably eating sweet potatoes.
What is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?
Sweet potatoes have smooth orange or reddish skin, orange flesh, and a sweet flavor.
True yams have rough brown skin like tree bark, white flesh, and a neutral flavor.
Can I use fresh sweet potatoes? Yes! Peel and cut the potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil. Place the cubes on a baking sheet. Roast at 450ºF until tender, about 40 minutes.
For extra orange flavor, add some orange zest to the glaze.
Can Orange-Glazed Sweet Potatoes be made in advance? Yes! Assemble the casserole and cool completely. Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.
If using a glass baking dish, remove it from the oven and bring it to room temperature before baking.
You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time if baking cold straight from the refrigerator.