Mashed Sweet Potatoes
For as popular as sweet potato fries are, most people I know only eat mashed sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. But sweet potatoes are full of vitamins, easy to make, and absolutely delicious. After trying this recipe, they’ll be in regular rotation at your home (especially if you have kids!).
But first, let’s talk about the types of sweet potatoes. Everyone is familiar with orange sweet potatoes, but there are actually many different types. In North America, you’ll find 5 different varieties of sweet potatoes in most grocery stores:
Orange skin with orange flesh
Purple skin with purple flesh
Yellow skin with white flesh (aka hannah sweet potatoes)
Red skin with orange flesh (aka garnet sweet potatoes)
Purple skin with white flesh (aka Japanese sweet potatoes)
Each variety of sweet potato has a unique flavor and texture. For this recipe, I recommend using either traditional orange sweet potatoes or Japanese (purple skin / white flesh) sweet potatoes, as they are naturally the sweetest and have a high moisture content.
The secret to this recipe is the brown butter, which adds a depth of flavor and balance to the sweetness of the potatoes and maple syrup.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Serves: 4 - 6 people as a side dish
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
4 lbs of sweet potatoes — about 4 large potatoes
For this recipe, I recommend using traditional orange or Japanese sweet potatoes, as they are naturally the sweetest
8 sprigs of thyme (6 sprigs whole / 2 sprigs with leaves removed and chopped)
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup maple syrup
Pinch of salt
Preparation
Adjust oven rack to center position and preheat to 300ºF.
Take two large sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil and place them on top of each other. Put 2 of the sweet potatoes in the center of the sheet and place 3 sprigs of thyme on top.
Fold up the foil and crimp tightly (the goal is to steam the potatoes in their natural moisture, so we want to prevent air from escaping). Then, flip over the packet and wrap in a second sheet of aluminum foil.
Repeat with the other 2 sweet potatoes, place the foil packets side-by-side on a baking sheet and put in the oven for 2 hours.
Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven after 2 hours and open one of the foil packets (be careful, the hot steam will escape!). If the sweet potatoes are fully roasted and cooked through, the skins will appear moist. If they still look dry/matte, close the packet back up and put in the oven for another 15 minutes (you can also test with a toothpick - inserting a toothpick into the potatoes should have no resistance if they’re fully cooked).
When fully-cooked, the sweet potato skin will be moist/glistening
Once the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, open up both foil packets and set aside to cool.
While the sweet potatoes are cooling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Gently swirl the butter around until the liquid starts to turn golden brown and smells “nutty” (this should take about 2-3 minutes).
Immediately pour the melted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a flat beater attachment (or a large glass or metal bowl if you don’t have a stand mixer). Combine with the maple syrup and the chopped leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme.
Next, peel the skins off of the sweet potatoes. If they’re cooked all the way through, the skins should just “slide” off (be careful not to burn your fingers if they’re still hot). After peeling, check the ends of each potato and remove any discolored nubs. Add the sweet potato flesh to the bowl containing the brown butter, maple syrup and chopped thyme leaves.
Beat the sweet potatoes in your stand mixer on medium low (a setting of 3 or 4 out of 10) for about 2 minutes until smooth and fluffy. If you don’t have a stand mixer, use a handheld mixer. If you don’t have a handheld mixer, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work.
Season to taste with a pinch or two of salt (just enough to cut the sweetness).
Serving
Serve immediately or make ahead (mashed sweet potatoes will last 4 - 5 days in the refrigerator or up to a year in the freezer).
