Can y’all believe the holidays are just around the corner? I’m already starting to think about what my family and I will eat on Thanksgiving. Now that I’m older and a more experienced cook, I like to contribute to the actual meal rather than just eating and helping with the cleanup. I love making desserts, but this year I’m contributing something else to the day: sweet potatoes, as a side dish!
I’ve always loved potatoes, in almost any form. Mashed, roasted, baked, fried… I love potatoes. Who doesn’t, though? It took me a while to learn to love sweet potatoes, but now they’re a regular in my diet. They’re marginally better for you than “regular” potatoes—though I don’t believe “regular” potatoes are really all that bad for you—and sweet potatoes are a really nice fall vegetable. Also, that orange color is just gorgeous.
My mom has been making whipped sweet potatoes for years, and I’ve adapted her recipe into my own. There’s a surprising ingredient in there, and I know it’ll sound weird at first, but trust me, it balances really well with the potatoes’ flavor and the cinnamon and nutmeg.
If you’re planning ahead for Thanksgiving dinner, consider whipped sweet potatoes as one of your side dishes. They’re a crowd pleaser, safe for any age, and are just really easy to whip up before dinner is served. My recipe serves 3-4 people (as a side dish), so double or triple it for larger parties.
For the sake of this post, I served my whipped sweet potatoes with pan-fried chicken thighs and oven-roasted Brussels sprouts. I’m pretty proud of my Brussels sprouts recipe, too. But that’s another post for another time.
Here’s my recipe for Whipped Sweet Potatoes—an easy and delicious side dish for your holiday meal!
Just wait for that secret ingredient.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 4 oz cream cheese (half a block)
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- Juice and zest of half an orange
TO MAKE IT:
- Roughly peel the potatoes and chop into large chunks.
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Drop in potatoes and boil until they’re fork tender (about 15 minutes).*
- Drain potatoes and add them to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add remaining ingredients while potatoes are still warm.
- Mix (carefully) with a hand mixer (or by hand with a whisk) on low to medium speed, until well blended.
- Stop to scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything gets blended. Mix again for another 30 seconds, or until it reaches your desired level of fluffiness.
- Serve warm. Top with butter, cinnamon, and/or brown sugar.
*You could bake the potatoes instead of boiling them, if you want. Just rub them lightly with oil, wrap in aluminum foil and bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. Or microwave them for 8-10 minutes.
What’s your holiday side dish of choice? What are you cooking up this holiday season?
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