Cook's Illustrated Mashed Sweet Potatoes

[crankin]

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I found a recipe for mashed sweet potatoes that calls for braising the potatoes in a small amount of cream (just a few tablespoons) insted of boiling or baking the potatoes. When I did this, I ended up with very dry potatoes and had to add much more cream than the recipe called for. Has anyone tried a method like this before with success?

 

[jpmcgrew]

Your recipe did not come up on your link,so give us recipe and maybe we can help.

 

[lpb]

I'm not sure about this recipe, but I made mashed sweet potatoes last week and they were amazing! I baked three sweet potatoes in the oven for about 45 min. They were so soft when they came out that all I had to do was slice them up and they mashed up easy, I left the skin on too. I added about a stick (or two!) of butter, dash of milk,
cup of brown sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of crushed pecans. I mixed them with a fork and sprinkled with cinnamon. They were delicious!

lpb

 

[Caine]

Why would you put sugar, brown or white, on SWEET potatoes? Are they not sweet enough already?

I guess maybe I'm a purist, but I like mine baked in a 375F oven for 45 minutes, cut in half, and eaten right from the skin, with a little bit of butter and salt. I guess you could mash them on your plate if you want, but why add sugar?

 

[Katie H]

I'm not sure about this recipe, but I made mashed sweet potatoes last week and they were amazing! I baked three sweet potatoes in the oven for about 45 min. They were so soft when they came out that all I had to do was slice them up and they mashed up easy, I left the skin on too. I added about a stick (or two!) of butter, dash of milk,
cup of brown sugar, and 1 1/2 cups of crushed pecans. I mixed them with a fork and sprinkled with cinnamon. They were delicious!

lpb

I do that too, lpb. It's really delicious along with ham/pork or any poultry dish.

I also like to add mashed bananas sometimes or crushed pineapple. Sweet potatoes are wonderful mixed with all sorts of other goodies.

 

[Benni]

I find the best way is to boil or roast the potatoes and mash with butter and milk. A touch of parsley and finely chopped onion adds to the flavour. I must say I do prefer my sweet potato roasted.

 

[marajo]

lpb, you left the skins on the sweet potatoes you mashed? Regular potatoes but weren't the skins tough?

 

[crankin]

I leave the skin on red potatoes when I mash them but for all other types I take the skin off. I tried skin-on mashed sweet potatoes once but they were too stringy and tough. However, if I eat the potato whole (baked), I'll eat the skin no matter what type of potato (especially sweet).

 

[lpb]

Sorry I never checked this post back until now, but 1. I'm from the south where we add sugar/lard to everything down here!! I have ALWAYS heard of sweet potatoes mixed with butter and brown sugar. Whether its my grandmothers, aunts, mom, or even restaurants making it, it has always contained brown sugar. 2. I did leave the skins on...I was thinking about peeling them but didn't before hand and they were soooo soft and moist I blended everything together and it was delicious! I guess my reasoning was as crankin stated, you eat the skin with a baked potato, why not mashed, as long as they weren't tough, they blended right in...

lpb

 

[Jeff G.]

Sorry I never checked this post back until now, but 1. I'm from the south where we add sugar/lard to everything down here!! I have ALWAYS heard of sweet potatoes mixed with butter and brown sugar. Whether its my grandmothers, aunts, mom, or even restaurants making it, it has always contained brown sugar. 2. I did leave the skins on...I was thinking about peeling them but didn't before hand and they were soooo soft and moist I blended everything together and it was delicious! I guess my reasoning was as crankin stated, you eat the skin with a baked potato, why not mashed, as long as they weren't tough, they blended right in...

lpb

I like a little brown sugar along with the butter on mine too.. If you have Pecans... even better!!!!