Mashed potatoes are a common dinner time occurrence, but in my opinion, they are underrated and should be part of everyone’s regular dinner rotation! They’re also perfect for holiday meals alongside a roasted turkey breast or honey glazed ham.
Mashed Sweet Potato Ingredients
The ingredients for this mashed sweet potato recipe are sweet potatoes, butter, milk and salt. I like to add a little fresh parsley too for color and flavor, but that’s optional. This dish is one of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes along some other fantastic side dishes like loaded mashed potato casserole, homemade cranberry sauce and Southern cornbread dressing.
How Do You Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes?
To make mashed sweet potatoes, first place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan or baking sheet. Bake them in an oven until they are fork tender. Take them out of the oven and then peel them or scoop out the insides. Put the sweet potato in a bowl or a food processor with milk, butter and salt. Mash by hand, or puree in a food processor until you’ve reached the desired texture. Add any toppings you like such as butter and parsley, then serve and enjoy.
Tips For The Perfect Dish
Since I typically roast whole potatoes, I look for potatoes that are similar in size and shape so that they cook at the same rate. You can use jewel, garnet or any other red fleshed or orange fleshed sweet potato or yam. If you’re choosing to boil or steam your potatoes, you’ll want to peel them before they go into the water. Mashed sweet potatoes stay fresh in an airtight container in a refrigerator up to 4 days. You can make them ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator or save your leftovers. Reheat them on a stovetop until warm. You can freeze this dish for up to 2 months for later use.
Flavor Variations
You can serve your mashed sweet potatoes as-is, or add any number of toppings to create sweet and savory flavor profiles.
Candied Bacon: Prepare the potatoes as directed. Cut up 8 slices of bacon into pieces and cook it in a frying pan. Stir in 1 tablespoon brown sugar and cook for 2 more minutes. Top mashed potatoes with candied bacon and serve. Garlic and Herb: Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a pan. Add 2 teaspoons minced garlic, a dash of black pepper and 3 tablespoons assorted minced fresh herbs such as fresh thyme, parsley or sage. Mix the garlic and herb butter into the sweet potatoes. Brown Sugar Brulee: Place the sweet potatoes in a baking dish and sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil until the sugar has melted. Let sit until the sugar hardens, then serve. You can also stir a little maple syrup into the potatoes for extra flavor. Caramelized Apple: Sauté 3 peeled, sliced apples in 3 tablespoons of butter, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. Pour the apple mixture over the potatoes. Creamy: Substitute the milk for heavy cream to get even creamier potatoes.
You can even set up a mashed potato bar and put out plain mashed potatoes with a variety of toppings such as brown sugar, mini marshmallows, herbs, flavored butters and more. Your guests can assemble their own creations to fit their taste. I did this once for a holiday party and it was a huge hit. No matter how you decide to flavor your potatoes, they’re sure to be a success! This mashed sweet potato recipe will definitely be on my Thanksgiving table this year.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes Video
