Mashed Sweet Potatoes
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes is a simple vegetable side dish that’s packed with so much flavor and goodness you’ll find yourself serving it again and again!
With only five ingredients, this easy Mashed Sweet Potato recipe is the perfect accompaniment for pork chops or pork tenderloin or just about any other main course.
We even like this as a side for turkey meatloaf! This tasty side dish is sweetened with a little maple syrup instead of brown sugar. If you like, try sprinkling with a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg, or even ginger.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Everything is better with butter, right? My Mom never skimped on the butter when she made regular mashed potatoes at home — she would add a whole stick of butter to her pot of potatoes!
I don’t think that sweet potatoes need that much butter. On their own, sweet potatoes are naturally sweet and delicious. Sometimes in cooking, we tend to over season foods and end up hiding the natural goodness.
With this recipe, I do add butter, but only two tablespoons. If you like more, add more, but taste first to make sure you really need that extra butter. Save a few calories and savor the natural goodness of the sweet potato!
Which is healthier, a sweet potato or an Irish potato?
Each potato has different nutritional value and determining which is better for you really depends on what you are looking for in your diet. For example, sweet potatoes are lower in carbs and calories while Irish potatoes are lower in fat and sugar.
The potato nutrition chart above gives a side-by-side comparison so that you can decide for yourself. Are you a sweet potato or an Irish potato fan?
How do you make mashed sweet potatoes?
Making mashed sweet potatoes is basically the same as making regular mashed potatoes.
- First, peel and cube. It’s important to cut the sweet potatoes into small one-inch pieces so that the cooking requires less time. The potatoes will also be easier to mash.
- Boil in salted water. Cook the potatoes for 10-12 minutes or until they are fork-tender.
- Drain and mash immediately. Be sure to cream or mash the potatoes while they are still hot. If they cool too much, the result will be less creamy. You can use either a potato masher or hand mixer as both work just fine.
- Add butter and milk. Everything is better with butter, of course! Add the butter and milk and mix until creamy. Season the potatoes with salt and maple syrup, if desired.
What goes with sweet potatoes?
My number one answer to this question is PORK of any kind — ham, pulled pork, chops, or ribs — but don’t limit yourself to only pork as the main course. Sweet potatoes are also a tasty compliment to chicken, turkey, and beef.
Often, we’ll make baked sweet potatoes instead of white potatoes when we grill a steak just to mix it up a bit. Last week, we served Mashed Sweet Potatoes and green beans as sides for my Turkey Mini Meatloaf with Honey Dijon Glaze and it was excellent!
Some of my other favorite pairings include Chili-Orange Glazed Pork Tenderloin, Easy Smoked Baby Back Ribs, and my most popular Best Grilled Salmon.
More sweet potato recipes!
- Country-Style Ribs with Grilled Sweet Potatoes
- Sweet Potato Soufflé
- Sweet Potato Salad
- Spicy Sweet Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe
Be sure to cream or mash the potatoes while they are still hot. If they cool too much, the result will be less creamy. You can use either a potato masher or hand mixer as both work just fine.
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Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 cups sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place peeled and cubed sweet potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Continue cooking until the potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 10-12 minutes. Drain the potatoes.
- Using a hand-held mixer or a potato masher, cream the potatoes. Add the butter and milk and mix until desired consistency (a few lumps are fine). Stir in the salt and maple syrup and serve.
Notes
- Be sure to cream or mash the potatoes while they are still hot. If they cool too much, the result will be less creamy.
- You can use either a potato masher or hand mixer as both work just fine.
Nutrition
Life Love and Good Food does not claim to be a registered dietician or nutritionist. Nutritional information shared on this site is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
So simple and good!!
I would say sweet potatoes are healthier because they are low on the glycemic index, they contain high amounts of fiber, potassium, vitamins (particularly vitamin A and beta carotene), and minerals, and low amounts of sodium.
Even though sweet potatoes are starchy vegetables that are high in carbs, their benefits outweigh the negative. Yes, sweet potatoes contain sugars and so they do have an effect on blood sugar levels but this effect happens slowly and steadily.
So my vote is sweet potatoes as being the healthier choice. With that said, there’s so much more you can do with white potatoes. They have a far more varied recipe profile.