Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Savory, not sweet, is the name of the game for this incredibly creamy and festive holiday mashed sweet potatoes.

There is no doubt that you are used to seeing the marshmallow smothered sweet potato bake every year on the table, but this sweet potato recipe goes beyond that for a side dish that embraces the incredible and tasty without the added and unneeded sugar. 

Why you will love making this Sweet Potato Recipe

Unique: Every holiday growing up, we seemed to have the same traditional and classic dishes on our holiday plates. It went like turkey, rolls, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and corn casserole.

When I became an adult and was in charge of the menu, I changed it up, turning deviled eggs into fried deviled eggs and brown sugar carrots instead of regular oven roasted carrots.

These mashed sweet potatoes are just that. A unique side dish without varying so much from an old-fashioned Christmas meal but giving you something new to taste and love this season while still using simple ingredients. 

Not so sweet: Sweet potatoes often get the short end of the stick. They get smothered in marshmallows, brown sugar, and pecans. And while I cannot deny that that makes them delicious, it detracts from the delightful savory flavors that regular sweet potatoes are grown with.

Keeping them super simple with just cream cheese and seasoning, these mashed sweet potatoes rejoice with their simple natural flavors making them a great choice for complementary weeknight dinners or holiday side dishes.

Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes- Choosing potatoes that are all similar in size, peel and cube sweet potatoes, so they boil quickly. If you prefer an alternative method, try pressure cooking sweet potatoes instead.
• Cream cheese – Cream cheese that is left to soften about 15 minutes from the fridge is easier to whisk into recipes. 
• Unsalted Butter – Only real butter here, please! Skip the margarine and artificial oil butter and opt for the real thing. 
• Salt – You cannot skip the salt to bring out the flavors of the potato, but black pepper is optional. 

How to make Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Cream Cheese

1. Peel and cube sweet potatoes. While skins on mashed potatoes are often welcome, skins on sweet potatoes can be bitter and tough. You want those to go.
2. Place sweet potato cubes into a large saucepan and cover with cold water, making sure water is at least 1″ above the potatoes.
3. Heat over medium-high until potatoes are fork-tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain and return potatoes to pan. 

4. Add cream cheese and butter, season with salt, and use a potato masher to incorporate the butter mixture well.
5. Make sure to mix to melt the cream cheese and butter evenly thoroughly. 
6. Serve mashed sweet potatoes immediately. 

Optional Sweet Potato Flavors

• Still crave a sweet flavor? Serve potatoes with a small bowl of scoopable brown sugar, maple syrup, and a dash of ground cinnamon or wildflower honey on the side. One common sweet potato ingredient also includes a sprinkling of pecans.
• Want to keep this perfect side dish savory? Try grated parmesan, green onion, oregeno, or thyme leaves for some extra flavor on mashed sweet potatoes. 

• While the cream cheese and butter do the trick without overpowering the comforting flavor and creamy texture, there are other ways to cream up potatoes, like sour cream, unflavored Greek yogurt, and heavy whipping cream. 
• Fresh herbs can bring out the color of these pale orange potatoes. Try some fresh rosemary sprigs to please all the senses and add some extra savory flavors, and as always, extra melted butter is welcome.

Related Sweet Potato Dish Recipes

• Nothing says perfect dessert like the well-known and loved sweet potato pie.
• A great combination of sweet and savory, this maple bacon sweet potatoes recipe is a simple stovetop side dish with crunchy bacon and tender potatoes.

• The Ninja Foodi makes quick work of pressure cooking sweet potatoes.
• Absolutely the best crockpot sweet potato casserole recipe you will find – set it and forget it till dinner.