Name: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Maple and Orange
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: US & Canada
Ingredients: 2 pounds sweet potatoes , peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick; 6 tablespoons water; 4 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 4 pieces; Salt and pepper; 2 tablespoons maple syrup; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme; 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

Why This Recipe Works

We wanted mashed sweet potatoes that actually tasted like sweet potatoes, which meant that we needed to maximize their flavor. To do this, we steamed the potatoes in just 6 tablespoons of water (rather than boiling them in a large volume of water, which dilutes their flavor). We added some butter, sugar, salt, and pepper to the potatoes before cooking. Once they were cooked, we simply mashed all the ingredients together in the same saucepan we'd used to cook the potatoes and then stirred in some maple syrup, thyme, and orange zest for an autumn-inspired twist.

Before You Begin

This recipe can be easily doubled and prepared in a Dutch oven; increase the cooking time to 40 to 50 minutes.

Instructions

Combine potatoes, water, butter, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until potatoes crumble easily when poked with paring knife, 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from heat. Using potato masher, mash potatoes thoroughly until smooth and no lumps remain. Stir in maple syrup, thyme, and orange zest. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.