Mashed Yams

• One of the easiest dishes to make with canned yams and cream cheese is mashed yams. Pour the canned yams into a saucepan and mash with a little salt and cream cheese. Warm the mashed yams over low heat, stirring often, and serve. The simple dish soothes the throat and adds a sweet hint to a meat dinner, such as roast chicken.

Yam Pudding

• Baking yams with cream cheese and eggs creates a creamy, bread-like pudding that works as a filling finishing dish for any meal. Beat a little sugar and cream cheese together in a bowl. Beat in the mashed yams, eggs and some plain breadcrumbs to create a thick mixture. Bake the mixture at 350 degrees Fahrenheit until set. Serve the dessert pudding alone or sprinkle with currants, chopped nuts or chopped apples. You can also drizzle the pudding with caramel or butterscotch syrup.

Yam Cheesecake

• Yam cheesecake has a boost of vitamins and minerals, as opposed to a regular cheesecake. With or without yams, cheesecake is an indulgent dessert that pairs well with a fancy meal. Create a basic cheesecake crust by mixing crushed graham crackers and melted butter. Press the mixture into the bottom of a pie tin. Beat sugar, cream cheese, eggs and vanilla extract together in a bowl. Beat in mashed canned yams. Pour the mixture into the crust and bake at 350 degrees until set. Remove cheesecake from oven and let chill in refrigerator for a few hours.

Yam Casserole

• Creamy yam casserole with marshmallows provides a sweet side dish for a large feast, such as Thanksgiving. Stir together a little mashed canned yams, cream cheese and cinnamon to create a sauce. Add the mixture to chopped canned yams and stir in marshmallows. Bake the casserole at 350 degrees until golden.

Warning

• While similar in sweetness and texture, yams are not the same thing as sweet potatoes. The two are completely different vegetables. The confusion comes from the U.S. labeling laws that allow canned sweet potatoes to also be labeled as yams. The only way to know if you’re getting true canned yams may be to know the brand you're buying or to buy the yams fresh and can them yourself. Fortunately, canned yams and sweet potatoes are easily interchangeable in most recipes.