The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (2024)

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4.25 from 12 votes

Learn how to make the BEST savory mashed sweet potatoes ever. They make a great healthy, low carb option perfect as a side dish for your midweek meal, as well as Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas.

The boiled sweet potatoes are mashed until smooth and then mixed with butter and sour cream, to create an easy and quick side, that doesn't take up oven space. Plus boiling them makes them extra soft, smooth and creamy.

The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (1)

Mashed Sweet Potato

Mashed potatoes are a weekly occurrence in our house, they are one of the most loved side dishes! And rightly so, who can resist pillows of soft fluffy mash?
And on special occasions I make my famous French Style Mashed Potatoes, they are so full of butter that you can't help but love them (Be warned your skinny jeans will hate them!)

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But as much as we all love mash, sometimes you want something a little healthier, with lower carbs and dare I say it something that fits into a diet!

Stew is currently working on a Lower Carb diet, so amongst my favorite pasta recipes, I am going to bring in low carb recipes specifically for your partners who have decided to turn their backs on pasta and bread!

(p.s we'll work out some ways for you to still get your carbs without having to cook two meals!!!)

The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (2)

So many recipes for Mashed Sweet Potatoes are made extra sweet, with brown sugar, maple syrup or marshmallows.
Now don't get me wrong I LOVE the maple syrup version, I even have one on my site with pecans. IT IS SO GOOD!!! You can see it here - Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Maple Pecans.

I also have a deliciously savory Sweet Potato Mash with Lemon and Sage!!! Or this Thai Sweet Potato Mash, which is just a little bit different, but so good!

But in the interest of low carb and also for those days when a savory mash is needed, I set aside the maple syrup and tried mashed sweet potato with sour cream instead. I can tell you guys, it was good. Lick the bowl clean good!

The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (3)

How to make Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

The recipe starts with boiling the mashed potato in salted water until nice and tender. You can steam them if you like but this will take longer.
Once the potatoes are fork tender they are mashed down and then mixed with sour cream, butter, and plenty of seasonings.
(see further down the post for ways to mash your sweet potatoes)

Don't forget the salt and pepper

Seasoning is so important in cooking, salt brings out the flavor of food and can change a dish from okay to great! All those delicious restaurant dishes you've tried, quite often the only difference to your home cooking is the chef's use of salt during the cooking process.

I suggest ½ teaspoon of salt for these potatoes, I actually like to add a little more to my plate, but most people find ½ teaspoon to be enough. And don't forget the sweet potatoes were simmer in boiling water first so they have taken on some salt.

The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (4)

How to Mash Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are so much softer and less starchy than a regular potato so they are easier to mash.

  • Use a Fork: This will give you a coarser mashed sweet potato.
  • Use a Potato Masher: (preferred method) This gives great results and a wonderful smooth mash.
  • Use a Food Processor/mixer: Unlike standard potatoes, you can get a smooth mash from sweet potatoes in the food processor but be careful, just like standard potatoes they can turn gluey if you mix them for too long.

To finish the dish, fresh parsley is added, this really helps to make the dish savory, as parsley has a wonderful, almost cut grass like taste.

But there are several other herbs you can try.

  • Add chopped fresh rosemary to the sweet potatoes as you boil them.
  • Use fresh thyme instead of parsley.
  • Use chives or green onions instead of parsley.
  • Add chopped sage to your mash (great with chicken)
The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (5)

How to heat up leftovers?

Mashed Sweet Potatoes will keep well in the fridge for 4 days. Reheat the covered bowl them in the microwave, on 50% power. They taste almost as good as if you had made them fresh.
Heat them until hot and steamy, but don't overheat or the butter and sour cream will start to separate from the mash. If this happens, take a wooden spoon and mix them as vigorously as possible.

What to serve with mashed sweet potato?

  • Creamy Honey Mustard Pork Chops
  • Balsamic Butter Steak
  • Easy Cheesy Baked Fajita Chicken
  • Seared Lemon Paprika Garlic ButterScallops
  • Honey Pecan Chicken Breasts

Enjoy x

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The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (6)

The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe

Claire | Sprinkle and Sprouts

Learn how to make the BEST savory mashed sweet potatoes ever. They make a great healthy, low carb option perfect as a side dish for your midweek meal, as well as Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas. The boiled sweet potatoes are mashed until smooth and then mixed with butter and sour cream, to create an easy and quick side, that doesn't take up oven space. Plus boiling them makes them extra soft, smooth and creamy.

4.25 from 12 votes

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Side

Cuisine Modern Australian

Servings 4

Calories 216 kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes
  • pinch salt
  • 3 tablespoon butter
  • ¼ cup sour cream - see note 1
  • ½ teaspoon salt - see note 2
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon finely chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 1" (2.5cm) cubes.

  • Then place in a large saucepan and cover with boiling water.

  • Bring back to a boil, add a pinch of salt, then simmer for 15 minutes until tender.

  • Drain well and then return potatoes to saucepan.

  • Mash the potatoes to your preferred consistency (See note 3)

  • Add in the butter, sour cream, salt, pepper, and most of the chopped parsley.

  • Stir well to combine and melt the butter.

  • Taste and add more salt depending on your tastes (see note 2)

  • Once mixed, serve with an extra slice of butter and the remaining chopped parsley.

Notes

  1. You can replace the sour cream with a low fat yogurt, but the results won't be as creamy.
  2. If you were overly generous with the salt in your boiling water you may need slight less. I find most people use ½ tsp, but I like a little more. So taste your mash and add more as needed.
  3. Ways to mash your sweet potatoes
    • Use a Fork: This will give you a coarser mashed sweet potato.
    • Use a Potato Masher:(preferred method) This gives great results and a wonderful smooth mash.
    • Use a Food Processor/mixer: Unlike standard potatoes, you can get a smooth mash from sweet potatoes in the food processor but be careful, just like standard potatoes they can turn gluey if you mix them for too long.

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 30mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 18800IU | Vitamin C: 3.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 0.8mg

Nutrition is per serving

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The Best Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What enhances flavor of sweet potato? ›

14 Ways To Add More Flavor To Sweet Potatoes
  • Slather with cinnamon butter. Siims/Getty Images. ...
  • Drizzle with tahini. ...
  • Roast with savory chili sauce. ...
  • Sprinkle on some good ol' salt and pepper. ...
  • Pan fry with ginger and orange. ...
  • Rub with garlic and rosemary. ...
  • Dip in honey mustard. ...
  • Sweeten with brown sugar and pecans.
Feb 17, 2023

How do you make Ina Garten mashed sweet potatoes? ›

Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth and transfer to a baking dish. Bake the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.

What are the tips and tricks of sweet potatoes? ›

Selection and storage tips: Choose firm, small- to medium-sized potatoes with smooth skin. Avoid cracks, soft spots and blemishes. Choose sweet potatoes with a bright, uniform color. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place for use within two to three weeks or at room temperature for up to a week.

Why does my sweet potato taste bland? ›

So if you want a sweet, sweet potato, you have to cook it until it reaches 135–170°F (57–77°C). And you want to keep sweet potatoes in that range for as long as possible. That will maximize how sweet the potatoes taste.

Why do restaurant mashed potatoes taste better? ›

Instead of regular milk, pro chefs generally use a generous helping of buttermilk and plenty of half-and-half or (even better) heavy cream in their potatoes. If you think the bartenders up front are pouring heavy, they've got nothing on the cooks in the back who are in charge of the mashed potatoes.

What does Rachael Ray use to mash potatoes? ›

Mash potatoes with half-and-half or milk using a potato masher. Add in the cream cheese and smash until the cheese melts into the potatoes. Add chives or scallions. Season with salt and pepper, to your taste.

What do professional chefs use to mash potatoes? ›

The secret weapon, a good potato ricer (affiliate). This pushes the potatoes into strings, which helps them soak up every bit of the cream and achieve maximum fluffliness.

How to cook sweet potatoes Martha Stewart? ›

Scrub and pat potatoes dry. Pierce potatoes all over with the tines of a fork and bake in oven, directly on rack, until soft and caramelizing, 1 1/2 hours. Slash the tops of potatoes open with the tip of a sharp knife and push ends of each potato toward each other to open.

Is it better to boil sweet potatoes or bake sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Why not to boil sweet potatoes? ›

Despite their sweet taste, these potatoes have an intermediate glycemic index (GI) level, meaning they are digested and absorbed fairly slowly, leading to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. But, a lot of these benefits, including nutrients and taste, can be lost by boiling sweet potatoes.

What goes well with sweet potato mash? ›

Savory sweet potato mash can easily be served with any main — roast chicken, slow cooker roast turkey, crispy roast pork and prime rib. They are so versatile you can serve them right along your Green Bean Casserole, Mac and Cheese, Roast Potatoes or Roast Broccoli.

What can I eat sweet potatoes with for weight loss? ›

For the most weight loss-friendly version, boil sweet potatoes for 30 minutes and enjoy with herbs, spices, hot sauce, a little Parmesan, or garlic. Keep in mind that eating too much of any food — nutritious or not — can contribute to weight gain.

What meat is good with sweet potatoes? ›

Most people pair poultry and sweet potatoes. A roast turkey or chicken flavored with rosemary, thyme and sage pairs well with baked sweet potatoes and their caramelized crust. I like steak and sweet potatoes myself. Get a container of cream cheese, some chopped pineapple and roasted some sweet potatoes.

What is a value addition to sweet potatoes? ›

Orange-fleshed sweet potato can be processed into flour to increase its economic value and used in a wide variety of food, such as cake.

What is the special adaptation of sweet potato? ›

Sweet potato plants have a number of interesting adaptations. The most noticeable is the root. What we eat is actually the root of the sweet potato plant. The plant has adapted so that it can store extra sugar in this root for later use.

What tastes better boiled or baked sweet potatoes? ›

Why You Should Bake Sweet Potatoes Instead. While boiling makes sweet potatoes tender, it doesn't help much with their flavor. Most dishes that call for boiled sweet potatoes would be improved if you used roasted or baked sweet potatoes.

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