Elevate your side dish game by bringing roasted garlic mashed sweet potatoes to the table. This creamy, dreamy delight is sure to impress both family and friends.
Sweet potatoes are the star of the show here, and because we cook them in cream and butter instead of water, their full flavor shines through.
In our Savory Sweet Potato recipe post, we discuss the different varieties of sweet potatoes and how to select the best type for each cooking method.
In this recipe, we like to use Jersey Whites, known for their drier texture and less sweet flavor. Their texture is most like that of regular potatoes, holding butter and cream in a perfect fluffy mash.
For a sweeter, smoother finish, you might try Beauregard sweet potatoes instead. Their flavor is sweet, and their texture is smooth and creamy, unlike the Jersey Whites’.
No Water, Just Cream and Butter!
Seriously, you don’t need to cook the sweet potatoes in anything but heavy cream and butter. This technique amplifies the rich taste, making the mash incredibly flavorful.
They’ll simmer in the butter and cream before you add the roasted garlic for the last 5 minutes. When you test the potatoes for doneness with a fork, they should be soft without any resistance. Then, you mash everything together right in the same saucepan!
Roasted Garlic Changes Everything
Roasted garlic fits with mashed sweet potatoes like a hand in a glove. Roasting garlic mellows its bite and brings out its sweetness, making it a powerhouse of flavor that completely transforms the dish.
TOP TIP: If you have a local store with a deli bar, you can skip roasting the garlic! That’s right, just buy the exact amount of roasted garlic from the deli/cheese bar and blot them with a paper towel to remove any excess oil before adding to the recipe.
Chives for a Fresh Pop
Fresh chives bring a slight oniony flavor and brighten the dish visually. If you can’t find chives, use the green part of young green onions instead. Fresh thyme leaves also add a pleasant fresh element and unique flavor to this recipe.
Did you know that chives are a perennial herb that is super-easy to grow? If you haven’t already, plant some chives in your garden or yard, and they’ll bring fresh flavors to your table every year.
When they flower, they are not only delicious but also beautiful in the yard. I like adding chive flowers when I bake egg casseroles for brunch.
Recipe Step by Step
- If roasted garlic cloves are unavailable at the store deli, this is how to roast a garlic bulb.
Roast the garlic by cutting the top of the bulb off, exposing the tops of the garlic cloves; place in a small oven-safe dish, drizzle oil over the garlic bulb, and roast in the oven at 375° for 30 minutes or until garlic is fragrant, lightly browned, and soft. Allow to cool until easy to handle. To remove the roasted garlic from the bulb, squeeze the bulb at the bottom, releasing the cloves out the cut end. Cloves should pop right out. - Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into equal slices approximately 1/4-inch thick. Combine sweet potatoes, cream, butter, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat to melt butter.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring midway through, until the potatoes are soft and tender when pierced with a fork.
- Toss in the roasted garlic cloves with the potatoes and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Once the potatoes are fork tender (there is no need to drain), mash with a potato masher right in the pan or use a hand mixer to whip to the desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper, and top with chives and a pad of butter.
More Savory Sweet Potato Recipes:
Savory Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Savory Breakfast Skillet with Sweet Potatoes, Sausage and Sunny Eggs
Sweet Potato Home Fries: Make Your Own Convenience Food
Sweet Potato Hash Browns: Extra-Ordinary Breakfast Food
Roasted Garlic Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 medium sweet potatoes (lightest color)
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 8 cloves roasted garlic (from deli bar), chopped; (see Notes for roasting fresh garlic)
Instructions
- Peel and cut sweet potatoes into equal slices approximately 1/4-inch thick.
- Combine sweet potatoes, cream, butter, salt, and pepper in a saucepan over medium-high heat to melt butter 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes, stirring midway through, until the potatoes are soft and tender when pierced with a fork.
- Toss the roasted garlic cloves in with the potatoes, cover, and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Once the potatoes are fork tender (there is no need to drain), mash with a potato masher right in the pan or use a hand mixer to whip to the desired consistency.
- Season with salt and pepper, and top with chives and a pad of butter.
Joy says
This was a good transition recipe for my family who weren’t sure about sweet potatoes but liked this!
Lisa says
It sounds great and I want to try it out! When you add the garlic to the potatoes, was the cream drained or incorporated?
thanks!
Judy Purcell says
Hi Lisa,
The great thing about this recipe is that the butter and cream are already there, ready to incorporate, no need to drain or add more. Once tender, just start mashing with the roasted garlic. I hope you like it, please let me know either way. 🙂
rsmacaalay says
Wow what a good alternative to the classic mashed potatoes. Yummy!