Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Super creamy Healthy Mashed Sweet Potatoes are the perfect complement to any lunch or dinner recipe and an easy vegetarian and gluten-free holiday side dish.
Servings: 8 as a side
Ingredients
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes
- 1 medium butternut squash peeled, seeded, and cubed
- ½ cup milk plus more as needed
- 4 tablespoon butter
- 2 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- fresh thyme to garnish
Instructions
- Prepare the vegetables. Prepare the sweet potatoes. Wash and scrub each sweet potato and dry thoroughly. Transfer to the baking sheet and, using a knife or a fork, stab each sweet potato at least 6-7 times (this will vary depending on the size of your potato). Peel, seed, and chop your butternut squash into large cubes.
- Preheat and boil. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Transfer sweet potatoes to the parchment-lined baking sheet. Meanwhile, add a steamer basket to a medium pot filled with approximately 1-2 inches of water. Transfer the chopped butternut squash to the steamer basket, cover, and bring to a boil.
- Bake and Steam. Transfer potatoes to the oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Rotate the pan 180 degrees to ensure even cooking and bake for an additional 15-30 minutes, or until you see some of the natural sugars have started to caramelize and a fork or knife is easily inserted into the thickest part of the potato. Meanwhile, steam the butternut squash for approximately 15 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Puree. Once the butternut squash has finished steaming, transfer to a large blender. Remove the sweet potato from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before handling. Slice the potatoes in half and carefully peel the skin away from the soft inside. Transfer the inside of sweet potato to the blender with the cooked butternut squash.* Add the milk and puree until smooth and creamy.
- Season and serve. Transfer the creamy mashed sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Melt in the butter and stir in the maple syrup. Season with salt, to taste, and garnish with fresh thyme, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- Easily replace the butternut squash with an additional 2 pounds of sweet potatoes for a total of 4 pounds of sweet potatoes.
- If you love the skin of baked sweet potatoes, feel free to puree the skin with the rest of the sweet potato and butternut squash. Otherwise, save the skin and enjoy topped with your favorite meat and a dollop of sour cream for an easy, healthy lunch!
- Make your sweet potato mash sweet or savory. Favorite toppings include:
- Fresh herbs
- Melted butter
- Parmesan cheese
- Pecans
- Marshmallows
- Brown sugar
- Bacon (not vegetarian)
- Fried Apples
- This recipe, as written above is vegetarian and gluten-free. To make this recipe vegan and dairy-free, omit the butter and milk and use a plant-based butter and milk as an alternative.
Nutrition
Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 15mg | Sodium: 265mg | Potassium: 417mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 16310IU | Vitamin C: 2.7mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 0.7mg
