Do Americans really put marshmallow on sweet potato?

Why sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a ruse and canned cranberry jelly is actually pretty cool. Plus, how these ... "Cranberries are indigenous to North America and typically go back to the Pilgrims," says Bruce Forbes, author of America's Favorite Holidays: Candid Histories. read more

"The Cracker Jack company," says Andrew Smith, editor-in-chief of the Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America. It put out a small booklet of recipes in 1917 to encourage people to cook with marshmallows. read more

Why sweet potato casserole with marshmallows is a ruse and canned cranberry jelly is actually pretty cool. Plus, how these "easy" traditions have ironically become arguably the meal's most labor-intensive recipes. read more

According to Saveur, the first instance of marshmallows in a sweet potato dish appeared in a booklet commissioned by Angelus Marshmallows, one of the first companies to mass produce the candies that were formerly only available to the rich. read more