These mashed sweet potatoes are ultra creamy and are the perfect accompaniment to chicken, meats and fish. You can flavor your mashed sweet potatoes in different ways and I’m providing instructions to make multiple flavor variations.
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 .
These mashed sweet potatoes are a simple dish, yet they pair so well with almost any main course! In my opinion they’re even better than regular mashed potatoes. I’m sharing my tricks for the smoothest, creamiest yams that you’ll ever eat. Mashed yams pair well with grilled pork tenderloin , braised short ribs , slow cooker whole chicken , crock pot ham and Cajun turkey .
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 .
- Mashed Sweet Potato Ingredients
- How Do You Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes?
- Tips For The Perfect Dish
- Quick Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Flavor Variations
- More Sweet Potato Recipes
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes Video
- Love This Recipe?
- Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
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.
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.
Quick Tip
You don’t need to peel the potatoes before you roast them as the skins will come right off after the potato is cooked.
I cook sweet potatoes by roasting them whole, then I remove the peels. You can also boil or steam chunks of sweet potato if you prefer, but I find that roasting the potatoes is the easiest way to get the job done. If you prefer to boil the potatoes, cook cut them into 2 inch pieces and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until tender, then drain. You will need to steam potatoes for a similar length of time.
I typically mash sweet potatoes in a food processor for a super smooth mash, but it’s up to you what texture you like. Fork: Use a fork for the coarsest mashed sweet potatoes. Hand Mixer: Use a mixer for lighter mashed potatoes with some smaller chunks Potato Masher: Use a potato masher for a traditional mash which includes some chunks. Food Processor: Use a food processor for the smoothest, silkiest mashed sweet potatoes.
The secret to make mashed sweet potatoes less stringy is to use a food processor to mash the potatoes.
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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.
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows
1 hr 50 mins
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Butter
45 mins
Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
1 hr 50 mins
Sweet Potato Hash with Sausage
40 mins
Buddha Bowls with Sweet Potatoes
40 mins
Mashed Sweet Potatoes Video
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Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 3 lbs sweet potatoes
- ▢ 1/3 cup milk
- ▢ 5 tablespoons butter melted
- ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ▢ cooking spray
- ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped parsley optional
- ▢ pats of butter optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them with a fork.
- Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and arrange the sweet potatoes on the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Let cool slightly then peel off the skins, or cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides.
- Place the potato, milk, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. If you prefer a coarser texture, you can mash your potatoes by hand with a masher or fork.
- See post text for different flavor variation options.
- Serve, topped with pats of butter and/or parsley if desired.
Notes
- 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.
- You don’t need to peel the potatoes before you roast them as the skins will come right off after the potato is cooked.
Nutrition
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes
- 1/3 cup milk
- 5 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- cooking spray
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley optional
- pats of butter optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick them with a fork.
- Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray and arrange the sweet potatoes on the pan.
- Bake for 1 hour or until potatoes are tender. Let cool slightly then peel off the skins, or cut the potatoes in half and scoop out the insides.
- Place the potato, milk, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth and creamy. If you prefer a coarser texture, you can mash your potatoes by hand with a masher or fork.
- See post text for different flavor variation options.
- Serve, topped with pats of butter and/or parsley if desired.
Video
Notes
- 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.
- You don’t need to peel the potatoes before you roast them as the skins will come right off after the potato is cooked.
