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Easy Yam Soufflé is not your typical yam soufflé.  It’s savory with delicious Gruyere cheese, eggs, and sage.

This recipe and the giveaway included in this post is sponsored by Melissa’s Produce. All opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting the brands that make A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures possible.

Yam versus sweet potato is a question that most people ask. We have canned yams. We have sweet potatoes. There’s also that tuber like thing that people call a yam that’s more like yucca than potato. I honestly think the whole thing is a grey area.

And don’t get me started on all the purple potatoes!

All I know is Melissa’s Produce calls these yams so that’s what I’m calling them. They’re not quite sweet potato and they’re not like a yucca. Yes, I’ve had yucca fries. They’re really good and more like a potato than sweet potato. So, there’s that.

These are long and thin like a yam but had pink flesh like a sweet potato. They sort of tasted like a sweet potato, but as sweet potato-y as sweet potatoes. If that make sense. I’m sure it doesn’t but I’m trying. It’s not easy to explain.

You can see them in the back there. They’re super long. Like 8 to 10 inches long. Not like any sweet potato I’ve ever had. It took only two of them to make 4 cups of mash. Two. They’re that huge.

I received a variety of produce from Melissa’s Produce. There was Meyer lemons, which I love to bake with. Also, in the box were sunchokes along with some Dutch potatoes, these potatoes, and a nice butternut squash. I think there was something else, but I can’t remember what.

A couple of the Meyer lemons went into the scones I shared earlier this week. They are so good. You should try them. The Dutch potatoes became some roasted potatoes and some delicious potato salad. You can’t beat those little gems in a potato salad. The squash is still in the pantry for later and the sunchokes are in the fridge because I haven’t been inspired as to what to make with them. Because I’ve never had them before.

What is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato?

Here, they’re pretty much the same thing. We don’t know the difference. But a yam is more like a potato. It is starchy and can grow to over 45 feet long. Seriously? That is one HUGE yam! I had no idea they could get to be that large. Their exterior is browner in color and reminds me of yucca.

Sweet potatoes have a reddish complexion. They are sweeter in nature and come in firm and soft. What we think of as yams in the US are the soft variety of sweet potatoes. Which can come in many different colors like orange, white, and purple. Yes. Purple sweet potatoes.

The confusion comes about due to marketing. The first sweet potatoes cultivated in the US were the firm variety. When the soft variety came into the picture, there was a need to differentiate between the two types of sweet potatoes. This meant the firm sweet potato got the name kept the sweet potato name and the soft variety became a yam.

What’s the difference between easy yam soufflé and yam casserole?

I know most of you are familiar with the candied sweet potato casserole. And that typically starts with whole sweet potatoes (or yams) layered in the baking dish. That’s all well and good. It’s been a holiday staple in homes for decades. On top of the chopped potatoes goes the brown sugar, nuts, butter, marshmallows, and whatever else you want to add on there before baking.

For a regular soufflé, the difference is egg whites. They’re whipped and folded in to add air to the ingredients which allows the soufflé to puff up and be light and, well, airy.

For a yam soufflé, you use whipped potatoes making them smooth and creamy. It makes for a lighter and more airy casserole dish. But it doesn’t require the incorporation of whipped egg whites. I mean, I guess you could try that and see if it’s lighter. Maybe I will next time I make this?

What does easy yam soufflé taste like?

I’m a little different when it comes to my sweet potatoes. For me, I don’t like all that marshmallow, brown sugar, sweetness that people put with them. When I make baked sweet potatoes it’s simply butter, salt, and pepper that goes onto mine. I like the natural sweetness of the potato. It doesn’t need all that other stuff to make them sweet.

This easy yam soufflé is on the savory side. There’s cream and eggs in there along with sage, garlic salt, black pepper, and to top it all off there’s cheese. But not just any cheese. There’s Gruyere cheese in there. All the salty goodness of the cheese compliments the sweetness of the yams.

There’s also a touch of nutmeg in there. If you haven’t used nutmeg in anything but sweet goods you’re missing out. I put a pinch in my alfredo, béchamel, mornay, and other creamy cheese sauces. It complements the creamy goodness of the cheese sauce elevating it just that much more. Give it a try next time you make mac and cheese, au gratin anything, or alfredo.

So, instead of your typical marshmallow topped casserole, try this easy yam soufflé for the holidays this year. It’s a delicious alternative to the sweet holiday side dish.

Thursday Fall Recipes

• Apple Ginger Oat Tassies by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Apple Sidecar Cocktail by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
• Caramelized Pear Baked Oatmeal by Frugal & Fit
• Chocolate Caramel Affogato by That Recipe
• Easy Yam Souffle by A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures
• Maple Cake with Maple Glaze by Eat Move Make
• Pickled Cabbage by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Sweet Potato and Parsnip by Cheese Curd In Paradise
• Slow Cooker Loaded Potatoes by Blogghetti
• Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls by Cookaholic Wife
• Sweet Potato Haupia by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks