Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Thought this would be an appropriate post, given the upcoming Thanksgiving feast. I don't know about anyone else, but I am not a huge fan of the marshmallow-topped, sickeningly-sweet yams most serve on this holiday. Aside from the fact that it's weird to me to sweeten up a starch, the overly sugary taste pretty much masks any sweet potato flavor (meaning all you really get is the texture of the mashed sweet potato). Why do that, though? Don't we get enough sweet stuff with all the gorgeous pies and cakes and other goodies around on Thanksgiving?

My objective was to find a mashed sweet potato recipe, but one that lacked any sugar. It was quite the exhausting search, trust me. What I finally found was this beauty at Cooking Debauchery. A very simple way to make a delicious side, without a speck of sugar in sight. Think about giving the marshmallows a rest this year and placing this side dish on your holiday table. You won't be disappointed.

Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients:

3-5 sweet potatoes

1/2 to 1 c. of heavy cream

Salt

Spice of choice (try sage, thyme, or just plain pepper; I also added a healthy pinch of nutmeg)

Peel the sweet potatoes and slice thinly. No more than a quarter inch thickness. This is best done by halving each potato then placing the cut side down, halving again and then slicing thinly.

Place the thinly slices potatoes into a pan large enough to hold them. Shake the pan to evenly distribute the potatoes. Add enough cream to come just under half way up the potatoes. They will not be covered. Do not use regular milk because it will curdle.

Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally until the potatoes are very tender. Remove from heat, season with salt and spice of choice and mash until smooth.
For a smoother creamier puree, put into the food processor and pulse just until smooth.

Serve.