Sunday, June 7, 2015

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

I was going to offer a loose apology. “Sorry, guys, for all of the potatoes, eggs and utter randomness of recipes I post.  To be honest, I am a Flexitarian.  For those who are puzzled, a Flexitarian is someone who eats everything but prefers not to eat meat. 
My favorite restaurant is a Southern Meat & 3.  For those of who you have no idea what that is, a Meat & 3 is a restaurant in which the customer picks one meat from a daily selection of 4 – 6 choices (such as fried chicken, country ham, beef, country-fried steak, meatloaf) and three side dishes from a list that may include up to a dozen options. 

By ordering a plate with sides only, you may think that I’m choosing to eat a healthy vegetable plate, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.  As typical sides are macaroni and cheese, broccoli casserole, potatoes, fried okra, fried squash and creamed corn, I use the definition passed down from true Southerners.....A Meat & 3 is a meat and three starches. 
Though meat usually doesn't end up on my plate, I rarely eat a meal without my favorite starch; sweet potatoes.  I'm not one of those people who need falling leaves and temperatures to indulge in a great sweet potato dish.

Ingredients:
§     4 tablespoons unsalted butter
§     2 teaspoons kosher salt
§     2T chicken or vegetable broth (or water)
§     3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (4 –5 large sweet potatoes)
§     1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
§     1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
§     1 orange, juice and zest
§     1 teaspoon cinnamon
§     1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Optional:
§     Mini marshmallows
Directions:


Melt butter over medium heat.   


Add sweet potatoes and salt, cover and cook until potatoes are softened (approximately 10 minutes).  Add a small amount of broth or water if needed. 

Once the potatoes are soft, add brown sugar, heavy cream, 1 teaspoon orange zest, the juice from one orange, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Mash with potato masher or electric mixer. 

Transfer to baking dish.  If you are preparing these in advance, this would be a good time to stop as the potatoes can be reheated in a 350 degree oven for 20 – 30 minutes until heated through. 

Before serving, sprinkle with mini marshmallows and place under the broiler until marshmallows are lightly brown.  Do not leave the broiler as this will happen very quickly. 

For a printer friendly copy of this recipe, go to  Mashed Sweet Potatoes. Enjoy!








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