When you want a really quick and healthy side dish, reach for a couple of sweet potatoes. Not only are sweet potatoes downright delicious, they are also full of vitamins A, C and E, B6, iron, potassium, manganese, and fiber, as well as anti-inflammatory properties. They cook up fast and don’t need a lot of other ingredients to make them taste good because they are so sweet and scrumptious on their own. The sweet potatoes that I buy at my local market are as about as sweet as a potato can get and you can see how orange they are. Once mashed, they almost become florescent.
My method for making mashed sweet potatoes is to microwave them for 10 to 12 minutes, scoop out the flesh, add 2 other ingredients and blend with a hand mixer. It’s so easy! If you’d rather not use the microwave, please be sure to read the Kitchen Notes for an alternative method. And if you really want to take your sweet potatoes over the top, pour on some red chile gravy.
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Make up a batch of delightful sweet potatoes in just a few minutes with 3 ingredients.
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 Tbsp. butter
- ¼ – ½ cup milk or milk substitute
- Wash and scrub the potatoes. Poke with a knife or fork 3 to 4 times.
- Place on a rack in the microwave and microwave on high for 4 minutes.
- Turn over and microwave an additional 4 minutes.
- Check for doneness by poking with a fork. Continue to microwave 2 minutes at a time, turning potatoes over after each interval, until potatoes are done.
- Remove from microwave and let cool about 5 minutes. Cut in half lengthwise and scoop out the flesh and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add the butter and ¼ cup milk. Using a hand mixer, blend the potatoes to desired texture. Add more milk if needed.
- Reheat in microwave for 2 minutes right before serving.
Type of Sweet Potato – Sweet potatoes range in color from yellow to brown, violet to purple, pink to red and white to orange. Some sweet potatoes mash easily into a beautifully creamy dish. However, there are some sweet potatoes that are better used for other purposes. For example, Japanese sweet potatoes…I love them roasted, but they have a stringy, tough texture when mashed. Sweet potatoes with a red to brown skin and orange flesh work best.
Butter – “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream” (Julia Child). Cream can be substituted for butter and for the milk. Just omit the butter and the milk, and add cream until you get the texture you want. If you don’t want to use any dairy, then omit the butter and use more milk substitute.
Milk Substitute – Unsweetened almond milk makes a great milk substitute for mashed sweet potatoes. I’ve used it many times and can’t tell the difference between it and milk in the potatoes’ texture nor taste.
Salt and pepper – With good sweet potatoes, you really shouldn’t need any salt and pepper, but then that is a personal preference.
Cooking method – The microwave method is really quick & easy and doesn’t heat up the kitchen. However, if you don’t want to use a microwave, then heat the oven to 375º F, poke the potatoes a couple of time, and roast for 30 minutes or until done. The rest of the process is the same.
Shepherd’s Pie with Sweet Potatoes – Following my BIL’s lead, I sometimes use mashed sweet potatoes for my Shepherd’s Pie, New Mexico Style. The sweetness of the potatoes was a great complement to the spicy chorizo and red chile sauce.
Red Chile Gravy
Speaking of sweet potatoes and red chile sauce…
If you like gravy with your potatoes, use a thickened red chile sauce. For red chile gravy, I make red chile sauce from powder but cut back on the liquid by ¼ cup and cook down to a gravy consistency. This red chile gravy is good on mashed sweet potatoes and mashed white potatoes as well.
For more sweet potato dishes, check out these recipes:
Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Butter and Bourbon
Spicy Orange Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Green Chile Sweet Potato Hash Browns
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MJ, I love the simplicity of these sweet potatoes. So creamy and delicious! And then imagining them with red ancho gravy – Wowwwwwwwww!
Thanks Kelly! They are our favorites! This week we made them, topped them with black beans and then smothered that in gravy. Oh so good!
I love sweet potatoes. I’m definition asking myself why I’ve never done this before. I especially love the idea of the chile gravy.
Thanks so much Jeff! Try adding some black beans on top of the mashed potatoes with the red chile. YUM!
Wow ! Never thought of red chile gravy with potatoes ! Will do ! Thank you dear MJ and enjoy your wekend !
Thanks Davorka! Hope you’re enjoying your weekend as well.
Loving this simple method to cook sweet potatoes. Yes, this is one that I’ll be making soon, just so I can have that red chile gravy. I have a version also and never thought of combining them together. Thanks for the idea!
Thanks Abbe! Sweet potatoes and red chile gravy is kind of a tradition. 🙂
I love potatoes and sweet potatoes. And when I eat mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes, I like mine to be rich with butter! I can control the portion, but I want really good one. 🙂 Love this microwave method. Very convenient and perfect even for a busy day! By the way… color of sweet potatoes make me hungry. Beautiful!
Thanks Nami! The local sweet potatoes that I get really don’t too much butter because they are already so creamy, but I like the flavor that butter adds.
Oh yes, am going to try the microwave way to cook the tubers and relish the mashed sweet-potato!
Thanks Sanjeeta! They are really, really good this way. 🙂
One of the best side-dishes, EVER! Sweet potatoes are so perfect with anything in my book. Add some of your red chile, and enjoy a sweet and spicy side! YUM, Hugs, Terra
I love sweet potatoes..never thought of making it this way..thanks for sharing this…
I eat sweet potatoes very rarely. I knew they were healthy but didn’t know they contained so many vitamins, etc.! (On the other hand even the “normal” potato is apparently quite healthy… but many people treat it just like a humble, basic source of carbs in a meal). I have certainly never tried mashing sweet potato and am amazed to see how this simple dish looks beautiful!
Thanks Sissi! I know what you mean about the humble white potato. As long as you eat the skin, you get a lot of vitamins and minerals; therefore, I never peel white potatoes. You really need to try mashing sweet potatoes. It’s my favorite way to eat them.
I like the idea of the red chili sauce topping the sweet potatoes for some meals…thanks for the idea.
Thanks Karen! Glad you like the red sauce gravy. 🙂
Ooh I love sweet potatoes and could eat them in any way!But microwaving seems like a great idea and I’m going to do that from now on!Love your mashed version,so comforting and delicious 🙂 Would love to try Sheperd’s Pie recipe!
Thanks Soni! You really should try to Shepherd’s Pie. It’s awesome!
Loved sweet potato.. but I do rarely mash them up! Thanks for the super simple and delicious idea, I definitely will be trying this tonight.
Your mashed sweet potatoes look perfect MJ. Such a vibrant color and I agree, it’s hard to beat the taste and simplicity. I sometimes add nutmeg and sage to sweet potato but you know, they’re pretty darn good just as is! Do you make sweet potato fries too (or is that just us? 😉 ).
Adding seasoning to mashed sweet potatoes is something I do when the potatoes aren’t quite up to par. I’ve been spoiled with these local super sweet and creamy potatoes over the part few years, that’s it has been hard for me to add much of anything to them, except may a little red chile. 🙂 Do I make sweet potatoes fries? Actually, no. I’ve never been a “fries” person so I don’t ever make them at home. However, there is an Irish pub that we frequent that has some fabulous waffled sweet potato fries, so I let those be my indulgence. 🙂
with my Irish (dad) and French Canadian/Quebec (mom) [read: poutine!] fries are in my DNA :D.
The mash sounds delicious! I would love to add some herbs and spices to please my Indian palate 😉
Indian herbs and spices with mashed sweet potatoes sound awesome!
What a gorgeous side dish. I love the sweetness from sweet potatoes over the regular ones. 🙂
Gorgeous, MJ! Sometimes the simple recipes are the ones we come to truly love. Thanks for sharing.
I love sweet potatoes – but I don’t make them as often as I like as I always bake them – I don’t know what it never occurred to me to microwave them and scoop them – thanks MJ! Love the color on your sweet potatoes
With your busy schedule Shashi, you really should give the microwave method a try. Thanks!
I would choose sweet potatoes over potatoes almost any day, always loved them. I have not made mashed sweet potatoes in so long so thanks for the recipe and great idea to make them in the microwave. I always like to add a touch of maple syrup and walnuts.
Totally agree Evelyne – Sweet potatoes are so much better, not that I would ever turn down some buttery mashed white potatoes. 🙂 The sweet potatoes that I buy locally are SO sweet that no additional sweetness is needed. However, those that get shipped in usually need a little maple syrup help. Haven’t ever tried adding walnut. Pecans…yes, walnuts no. I need to try that.
Hi MJ! I’m trying to catch up on reading all my favourite blogs and can see I’ve missed so much on yours. Love all the recipes that you’ve been sharing.
Growing up I loved sweet potatoes but for some they haven’t made it to my table in years. I need to remedy that with this great recipe. I’m definitely going to go for the spicy gravy on top. Yum!:)
Hey Nancy!! Hope you and yours and your kitties are doing well.
Yum…I love mashed sweet potatoes with a thick cut pork chop…they just go together so well!
Totally agree Diana! Love sweet potatoes and pork chops. Thanks!
Champion idea that is a perfect kick in the butt for me. I have a couple of yams actually that I need to do something with. It needs to be quick, because I am whizzing around right now. I love mashed potatoes. I didn’t even think to do this.
BINGO!
Glad to help out Carol! Hopefully this method of making mashed sweet potatoes will help you get back a little time. 🙂
I love sweet potatoes, but don’t use them nearly enough! Thanks for the inspiration and they look extra terrific with your gravy – yum!
Thanks Amy! Every since I started cooking them in the microwave, I’ve been eating A LOT more of them. It takes too long to roast them. 🙂
Ohhhh I never thought of doing this, great idea!
So simple but so delicious. I was waiting for you to add a chili pepper to this recipe… LOL My boys will love this one with a sprinkle of dried chili flakes on top. Have a super week. Sharing, of course!
The red chile picture was a last minute thought and a last minute photo. And you bet… if you don’t have the gravy, some chile flakes sprinkled on top or mix in would be excellent! Thanks for sharing Bam!
I had some roasted sweet potatoes for the lunch yesterday too, but yours looks way better with that red chili gravy!
Thanks Angie! The red chile gravy is perfect for us sweet and spicy lovers.
I LOVE mashed sweet potatoes and have them often. I don’t know why but I love them with corn. 🙂
With corn, really? Now you know I’ll be trying that soon. 🙂
Delicious MJ Love this mashed sweet potato I need to make it for my daughter, she is really fan of it.
I used to use the microwave only for reheating things, but in recent years I use it more and more for cooking. I agree, it’s a great way to cook sweet potatoes — fast and easy. Great way to cook them for mashed sweet potatoes. Love this dish! Such a great variation on an old favorite, but with loads more flavor. Butter and cream for me, please. 😉
I agree John. I started cooking them in the microwave several years ago when I just couldn’t see wasting the energy of baking 2 potatoes in the oven. A few minutes in the microwave just seemed so much more efficient. I’ve been cooking them that way ever since. 🙂 I knew you were a butter and cream man. 🙂