Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Lisa Nicklin for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour 45 minutes
Rating
4(296)
Comments
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Believe it or not, not everyone wants their sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows or brown sugar. For them, here is a straightforward dish that lets the natural, earthy sweetness of sweet potatoes shine.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • pounds sweet potatoes (about 8 sweet potatoes)
  • 1 to 2sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more to taste
  • Kosher salt and black or white pepper
  • Flaky sea salt, for serving (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

274 calories; 17 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams dietary fiber; 6 grams sugars; 2 grams protein; 379 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 to 1½ hours, or until thoroughly fork tender. (If you're making these for Thanksgiving, you can tuck the potatoes into corners of the oven at any time during the roasting of the turkey.)

  2. Step 2

    Cut each potato in half lengthwise, scoop the pulp into a bowl and mash with as much butter as you dare to use. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more butter, if desired. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, if using. Serve while still warm or reheat before serving.

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Ratings

4 out of 5
296 user ratings
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Comments

Only had a huge one pound sweet potato. Took about one hour and 45 min at 350 to cool until soft enough to mash. Mixed with 1/2 stick of unsalted Kerrygold butter and a good dash of salt and pepper. Delicious. Will reheat and add a touch of cumin and cinnamon for dinner.

Add nutmeg and a bit of white pepper, and these really pop. This is a family favorite of ours, year after year.

I’ve been doing this forever! Glad that NYTIMES caught up. I am very particular about the variety of sweet potatoes. I have done a side by side comparison and Garnet is the best I’ve tasted. They can be difficult to find but are worth the effort. Red Diane is a second choice but it’s not as sweet. That said, be aware that Garnets do get darker, so if looks are more important than flavor, choose Diane.

I usually add Buerre noisette or brown butter to the sweet potato purée instead of whole butter. It definitely adds a Unami element that is delicious and easy to do. Trust me !

Question : Cut in half Scoop out pulp ? So no skins in this mashed sweet potato dish ?

Add a pinch of cinnamon and cumin.

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