Mashed White Sweet Potatoes (with Chipotle Honey Butter)

Mashed White Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Honey Butter offers a sweet and smoky side that instantly perks up pork and poultry mains. And the chipotle en adobo tints the white sweet potatoes slightly, giving it a lovely orange hue. You can tell there's something special about these mashed sweet potatoes just by looking at them!

Jump to:

• Did you know that white sweet potatoes are a thing?
• What does a white sweet potato taste like?
• How do you make Mashed White Sweet Potatoes?
• Substitutions & Variations
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Mashed White Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Honey Butter

Did you know that white sweet potatoes are a thing?

I didn’t. Imagine my confusion upon seeing a pale white interior upon peeling, instead of the brilliant orange sweet potato I assumed I had purchased. 

Originally I envisioned that this Mashed Sweet Potatoes recipe would use the orange variety. But in the interest of culinary curiosity (and not wanting to make another trip to the grocery store), I proceeded. After all, I might as well find out what this sweet potato in Russet potato’s clothing tasted like :).

What does a white sweet potato taste like?

This description from Southern Living’s Everything You Need to Know About the White Sweet Potato nails the flavor and texture:

“The white sweet potato is a great middle-ground between an orange sweet potato and your favorite russet. The white sweet potato has a slightly more crumbly and dry texture than an orange sweet potato, as well as a flavor that's slightly less sweet.”

What this means to me is that I have a chance of potentially converting sweet potato haters since the flavor of white sweet potatoes is milder in the sweet department. And if the sweetness is still a deal breaker for the most fervent haters, white sweet potatoes can easily be dressed up flavorwise.

I found that the Chipotle Honey Butter really shone agaist the mild sweetness of white sweet potatoes. My spud snafu produced one smashing side. Plus, its dryer texture justified using LOTS of Chipotle Honey Butter to achieve that desired creaminess. 

So if you happen to have a "My sweet potato is white!" moment like I did, fear not, because you can always boil and mash 'em. And serve with copious amounts of butter.

How do you make Mashed White Sweet Potatoes?

To make Mashed White Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Honey Butter you will need the following ingredients.

INGREDIENTS 

Mashed White Sweet Potatoes

• 2 large white sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes*
• 1 tablespoon salt, plus more to taste
• ¼ cup whole milk
• 1 tablespoon freshly chopped chives (garnish, optional)

Chipotle Honey Butter

• 1 stick salted butter
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 2 tablespoons chipotle en adobo sauce

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring butter to room temperature.

Add butter, honey, and chipotle en adobo sauce to a bowl.

Whip with a hand mixer until completely combined. Set aside.

Bring a pot of water seasoned with 1 tablespoon of salt to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.

Add sweet potato cubes to the boiling pot of water.

Cook for around 15 minutes, or until the sweet potato cubes pierce easily with a fork.

Remove from heat and strain. Return to pot.

Add ¾ of the Chipotle Honey Butter and ¼ cup of whole milk to the pot.

Mash, mash, mash! until you reach desired consistency. I don’t mind a few lumps, but you could also run these through a ricer if you want super smooth and creamy spuds.

Serve along with the remaining ¼ of Chipotle Honey Butter and a carb of your choice.

Sprinkle with fresh chives for a mild, oniony pop.

*This mashed white sweet potato recipe serves 2-3 hearty portions.

Substitutions & Variations

Here are some suggestions should you want or need to make a few tweaks to the mashed white sweet potato recipe:

• White sweet potatoes. Go ahead and use the orange variety here if you'd like!
• Whole milk. You can use heavy whipping cream or ½ and ½ instead.
• Chipotle Honey Butter. I think this simple compound butter makes the recipe, but you can opt to not use it. But you'll want to make sure to add at least 4 tablespoons of butter to the mash. Or maybe you just want to make honey butter, sans spice, which is also fantastic here.

Frequently Asked Questions

We’re all coming out the other side of “this shit going on” a few pounds heavier. Embrace it. Sweet potatoes are good for you, and butter is good for you in a bad (read: comforting) way. 

Enhancing the flavor of your next batch of mashed sweet potatoes (white or orange!) is as easy as whipping up a batch of 3-ingredient compound butter. So get your sweet and smoky side dish game on with these Mashed White Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Honey Butter. 

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