Rich, decadent, and not cloyingly sweet, these Mashed Sweet Potatoes are delicious enough to serve as a side dish show stopper, yet easy enough for a quick weeknight dinner. You are about to be shook, and I mean shook, at what mascarpone cheese can do to your sweet potatoes.
This is going to be, hands down, the best sweet potato recipe you've ever had. You will receive zero complaints at dinnertime and probably even a few requests for seconds! These Mashed Sweet Potatoes are great for family dinners or holiday potlucks and are so much more exciting than traditional mashed potatoes.
Most Mashed Sweet Potato recipes are loaded down with extra sugar and come across as way too sweet. This is not that kind of recipe. Forget browning butter and an excessive onslaught of ingredients. For the perfect forkful of Mashed Sweet Potatoes, all you need is three ingredients and this recipe.
With the holidays upon us, we all know how it is. Gone are the days of only cooking on the actual holiday. There are school parties, neighborhood gatherings, church potlucks, family get-togethers, and the list goes on! Aaand you need to bring a dish to each of them. From my heart to yours, I hope our Sweet Potato Souffle and Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries can help to keep the season fun, tasty, and stress-free.
ABOUT THE INGREDIENTS
OK, first things first, let's discuss the difference between a sweet potato and a yam.
A yam has an almost tree bark-looking, dark exterior, while a sweet potato has a smooth exterior with a brighter, reddish tinge. On the inside, you'll find the flesh of a yam is somewhat dry and starchy (similar to a regular potato) while sweet potatoes have a softer interior and are sweet in flavor.
Moral of the story: don't mistake a yam for a sweet potato. For this Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe, you will most definitely want sweet potatoes.
It doesn't get much simpler than this recipe. As mentioned above, you want to have your potatoes on hand, and you'll also want to have mascarpone cheese ready and waiting.
Mascarpone is an Italian cream cheese often used in the popular Italian dish, Tiramisu. It is somewhat sweet and rather buttery in flavor, has a rich, silky texture, and spreads soft and smooth.
Mascarpone cheese will thicken up the texture of your Mashed Sweet Potatoes and make them richer, plus, it perfectly complements the sweetness. No need for any butter at all, this Italian cream cheese does the trick just fine.
Note, Mascarpone and American cream cheese are very different, and the two should not be swapped for one another in this recipe. American cream cheese is firmer and has quite a bit of tang.
HOW TO MAKE MASHED SWEET POTATOES
To kick off this Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe, we will be roasting rather than boiling the sweet potatoes. By roasting them, we can enhance their natural sweetness and intensify flavor without adding extra sweeteners like brown sugar or maple syrup to the recipe.
Plus, by roasting the potatoes over boiling the potatoes, you get to skip both the peeling and the standing over the stove top portion of the recipe. And, you avoid the risk altogether of serving up a watery, mushy side dish. Roasting is most definitely the way to go.
To prepare your sweet potatoes for roasting, place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Drizzle with oil, and transfer to a preheated 425°F oven for about 40 minutes or until fork tender.
Set the potatoes aside to cool for about 10 minutes or until they are cool enough for you to handle. Use a knife to cut a slit lengthwise down the center of the sweet potato, and peel the skins away.
Drop the peeled sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl, and add the mascarpone cheese, salt, and pepper on top.
Use a potato masher or a handheld mixer on medium speed to mix until all of the ingredients are well combined.
For an extra smooth purée, add all ingredients to a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until smooth.
Your Mashed Sweet Potatoes will stay good for up to three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. And, yes! They are just as good reheated as they are fresh!
6 MORE POTATO RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Sweet Potato Pie
- Sweet Potato Turkey Hash
- Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
- Lyonnaise Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese
Twice Baked Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Pie
Easy Lyonnaise Potatoes Recipe
Sweet Potato Casserole with Marshmallows and Pecans
Sweet Potato Turkey Hash Recipe
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Baked sweet potatoes mashed with creamy Mascarpone cheese.
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes about 4 medium-sized sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp avocado or canola oil
- 8 ounces Mascarpone cheese
- ½ tsp Kosher Salt
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
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Preheat the oven to 425°F and have ready a rimmed sheet pan lined with aluminum foil.
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Place the sweet potatoes on the pan, drizzle with olive oil and rub into skins.
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Bake for 40 minutes or until fork tender. Set aside and allow to cool for 10 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
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Cut a line down the center of the potatoes and turn over into a medium-sized mixing bowl. The flesh of the potatoes should easily fall right into the bowl.
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Add the Mascarpone, salt, and pepper. Mix together with a potato masher or an electric mixer at medium speed. Serve right away and enjoy.
Sources | Bon Appetit, WebRestaurantStore.com, The Spruce Eats
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