Smokey Mashed Sweet Potatoes

acerast's Note:

Sweet, smoky, spicy and smooth. From Ellen Helman's "Home Cooking wit the Uncommon Gourmet". Perfect as a side to grilled meats. These are great as they are or are perfect fwith other seasonings that you may like....a sprinkling of brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg - or turn up the heat with a bit more cayenne........whatever suites your taste.

• Total Time: 35 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 2 lbs sweet potatoes , peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• salt , to taste
• fresh ground black pepper , to taste
• ¼ teaspoon liquid smoke
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons butter , at room temperature
• ½ cup light cream , at room temperature (half-and-half)

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes in a large pot of salted water for 12-15 minutes until fork tender.
2. Drain well and mash.
3. Add the salt, pepper, liquid smoke, cayenne, butter, and light cream. Mix until completely incorporated.
4. Serve at once.

Reviews

[Todd's Wife]

We loved this recipe! Followed the directions as written. Just enough heat to make things interesting! Thanks for a great recipe :-)

[Dr. Jenny]

This was my first time preparing sweet potatoes, and in fact, even trying them outside of french fry form (which I've only tried once or twice). We absolutely loved this recipe!! We love spicy food and typically enjoy the BBQ/smokey flavor of liquid smoke, so this recipe did not disappoint. My first impression was that you could easily cut back on the cayenne. However, I served the potatoes as a side to Beef Short Ribs in Chipotle and Green Chili Sauce 53939, which is quite spicy, and after I tasted the ribs, the spice in the potatoes no longer seemed too much! I've copied this to my "keeper" file and will definitely make it again. Thanks for posting!

[LifeIsGood]

I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about this recipe, with the use of liquid smoke. Let me tell you, it is fabulous! The liquid smoke add just a hint of unexpected and delicious flavor. I opted to add a bit more cream because we like our mash very creamy. Also, I only added about half the amount of cayenne and it was still plenty spicy for us. My son only like sweet potatoes if they are in french fry form, but even he loved this. ~Made for ZWT5 for the Epicurean Queen team~