Baked potatoes are bland and dry, which is why they get better when you split them up and pile on the salt, fat, and dairy. Sweet potatoes don’t have quite the same problem, since they’re loaded with sweetness and moisture, but that doesn’t mean they don’t benefit from contrasting textures and flavors, too… and marshmallows are just the beginning. Just like a baked russet potato, there’s a whole host of fantastic toppings to complement the savory orange tuber, and this stuffed sweet potato casserole recipe isn’t afraid to pile them on.

If adding Marshmallow Fluff or Swiss Meringue to sweet potatoes is risky, then stuffed sweet potato casserole is downright dangerous. So dangerous, in fact, that you might not have any leftovers by the end of the night. In this recipe, I top my sweet potato mash with salty and crispy bacon, sweet and tangy pecans (from Trader Joe's, but you can also make your own), chopped candied ginger, crushed vanilla meringue cookies (also from TJ's, but again, you can also make your own), and a few mini marshmallows. The resulting side dish offers a symphony of textures: crunchy, crispy, chewy, and creamy. A palette of flavors sprints across your palate: sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, bitter, and umami. It's beautiful, and it's flexible; customize it by adding more or less of whatever your crowd likes. Here's how to make it.

I like my sweet potatoes to shine, so I kept the base layer simple. Combine two pounds of cooked sweet potatoes with five tablespoons of melted butter and half a teaspoon of salt. You can mash them together or blend the mixture until smooth, if you prefer. (It’s just a matter of whether you like things smooth, chunky, or half-and-half.) If you usually make your sweet potato casserole with eggs, brown sugar, or other ingredients, feel free to do so here. The “loaded” toppings work with any base recipe. Spread the potato mixture in a buttered baking dish. (I used a 7×9-inch dish.)

Coarsely chop the spicy pecans, reserving a few to keep whole. Chop the candied ginger into pieces (I used quarter-inch pieces, but you can leave them larger for more impact). Crumble the bacon into medium or small pieces. Coarsely chop the meringue cookies if they don’t break apart easily by hand. Spread all of these ingredients over the surface of the sweet potato puree, including the small, dusty bits of meringue. Cover any open spaces with as many or as few mini marshmallows as you like.