It kinda feels like cheating to write a whole post for this recipe, but, then I remember how awesome these mashed sweet potatoes are.
This recipe is quite easy. I started making these about 5 years ago and I get requests for them all the time. Every so often, I get the urge to toy with this recipe and add some orange zest, chopped pecans, nutmeg or cinnamon, but I just can’t do it because, well, the world might end it’s just too good the way it is. For those brave souls out there, if you feel like trying it, you could add some orange zest, lemon juice, cinnamon, allspice, or nutmeg and let me know how it turns out for you.
What you need: fresh sweet potatoes (or yams), some brown sugar and some butter. I told you: easy.
Note: Forgive me, but I tend to get “sweet potatoes” confused with “yams.” For clarity, I make this meal with the one that has darker reddish-orange skin and deep orange flesh.
This dish is equally welcome at our table on Thanksgiving or any other day. It makes a great side to pork, lamb or turkey.
Plus, they add a nice color and texture to a plate.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Makes 4 servings
2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, skin on, diced into 2-inch pieces
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
Directions
Steam the sweet potatoes until very tender, approximately 15-20 minutes. Once tender, transfer to food processor and puree. Once pureed, add butter and brown sugar and mix well.
If you’d like, you could also roast the sweet potatoes in the oven. For this, preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange potato cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Place in oven and roast until tender and slightly browned and tender, about 35-40 minutes. Once tender, transfer to food processor and puree. Once pureed, add butter and brown sugar and mix well.
Enjoy!
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These look and sound lovely! Brilliant photos.
Hi Emily, thanks! I’m so happy you like the photos!! Thanks for commenting
I love me some mashed sweet potatoes.. Well, I love any preparation of sweet potatoes!
I make mine with toasted almond oil and maple syrup.
Great pictures!
Thanks for commenting! I’ve never heard of toasted almond oil, but it sounds like it would be delicious with sweet potatoes. Loving the maple syrup idea as well! Thanks!
I love mashed anything, and your photographs are superb!
I tend to add a bit of nutmeg heavy cream, too. fattening, I know – but oh, the texture.
For people like me I recommend other recipes, like 1/2 potatoes and 1/2 sweet potatoes, or my favorite -
1/3 potatoes, 1/3 sweet potatoes, 1/3 well-grilled beet. the mash comes out a shiny pink color and the flavor… unbelievable.
Hi Gil! I bet it tastes delicious with some heavy cream! I’m also intrigued by the grilled beet addition. Thanks for commenting!
Hey SPC,
I jumped on tastespotting to find a recipe for mashed sweet potatoes, as requested for my daughter’s birthday tonight, and Bingo – the most appetizing photo linked right back to you
I don’t have a steamer, so what’s the best way to steam the potatoes?
Cheers,
Joan
Hi Jonalisa! Yay, so glad you found me on tastespotting. I use my large soup/pasta pot that has an attachment to steam. I don’t have a steamer either However, this recipe is also great if you just boil the sweet potatoes. Or, you can always cover and cook/steam them in the microwave. Good luck!
I’m so excited to try this recipe! I’m a college student who lives with two very picky (and very healthy) roommates and I love to cook. They requested sweet potatoes one day so I googled it, since I’m a bit of an ametuer, and yours sounds (and looks) amazing! I’m boiling the potatoes right now and I’m excited to see how they turn out.
Thanks for the recipe! =)
Hi Jenny! I hope you like this recipe. It’s one of my favorites. It’s so simple, yet so yummy. Gotta love google! Thanks for sharing
I just wanted to say thanks for this article. I came across it looking for a way to cook sweet potatoes, use the skin but not bake them. I give you a “hat tip” in the following article.
http://onefoodie.wordpress.com/2011/06/08/turkey-thigh-spicy-spinach-whipped-sweet-potato-sage-jus/
Thanks!
Rob Davis recently posted..Roasted Turkey Thigh- Spicy Sautéed Spinach- Whipped Sweet Potatoes and Fried Sage Jus
Thanks so much, Rob! You’re very welcome
Better to start with raw potatoes, cubed and simmered in melted butter, then mashed and brown sugar added. A little milk or cream is good too. They end up drier, not as soupy, than when steamed. Sweet Potatoes are different than potatoes. Yams are not usually available in the U.S. They’re much different than sweet potatoes, which come in white and orange. White are drier. Orange are probably better for you.
Thanks for the tips, John.
I found your instructions while preparing my first all-vegetable, no-meat, no-cheese, no-fat lasagne. Recipe calls for mashed sweet potatoes, which I had never made. Most other online recipes have you peel the potatoes first. Since this lasagne recipe is so labor intensive, I opted to use your method and save that one step. Thanks for the instruction, they mashed beautifully. Here’s the lasagne recipe, from the Engine 2 diet. It’s exquisite:
http://vegetarian.about.com/od/vegetarianlasagnarecipes/r/engine2lasagna.htm
Happy to help!
I just started cooking (I’m 31!!) so I’m excited to try this easy recipe! The sweet potatoes are boiling right now. Can’t wait for my boyfriend to try them
Thanks so much!
You’re very welcome, Lisa! It’s never too late to start cooking!
Hi Lacey! Love it!! Linking back to this today
Yay! Thanks for the link back, Marla
Thanks for the recipe. These turned out AWESOME! yesterday i was test driving new turkey day potato recipes and this one is the winner. i thought mashed sweet potatoes would have been stringy since they’re so dense and fibrous to begin with but they were the complete opposite. i never would have guessed these would have been so deliciously smooth and creamy. this is definitley my contribution to our thanksgiving dinner this year!
Yay! That’s so great, Kim! Have a great Thanksgiving!!
Lovely recipe. Quick botany note, though we might hear sweet potatoes called “yams” from time to time, they are two completely different things. True yams are a wholly different vegetable/tuber, belonging to a different botanical family, unrelated to sweet potatoes. Yams are not offered for sale in the USA, to my knowledge.
Very interesting, Zandt. Thanks for sharing
Thank you for this recipe! I am new to sweet potatoes and wasn’t sure how to fixed them other than the “sweet potato casserole”. I based my recipe off of yours and was pleased! The mashed sweet potatoes were a hit at my Thanksgiving table.
Hooray! Happy to help!
Yumm – found via pinterest while browsing for a good basic mashed sweet potates to go with my beef meatballs tonight! Will definetly use this recipy!
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