My Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes are the perfect, easy, make-ahead side dish and are certain to be popular with the whole family. Fluffy and creamy, with a crispy seasoned breadcrumb topping, this is a simple, delicious casserole side dish for autumn/fall or the festive season. If you prefer a savoury edge to your Mashed Sweet Potatoes, these are for you. You will find so many ways to enjoy them as they are extremely versatile, suitable to serve with most main courses.
Why You'll Love This Recipe:
- We use simple ingredients that are readily available to create this side dish.
- It is a creamy, buttery, easily made side dish that is always popular.
- Like my Baked Mashed Potato, it is a great advantage when entertaining that this dish can be made in advance.
- This is a dish that is ideal to serve the family on weeknights, but so deliciously comforting that you can happily serve it at a dinner party. Few can resist creamy mash with a crisp topping.
- You can easily adapt the recipe to be gluten-free by using appropriate breadcrumbs and dairy-free by using an alternative butter and milk.
Recipe Inspiration: for many, mashed sweet potatoes are a regular addition to their Thanksgiving or Christmas table. We have taken this popular side dish and added a crispy crumb topping which transforms it into a savoury dish you will want to include at your celebration.
Ingredients and Substitutions:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
- Sweet potatoes – we have used gold sweet potatoes, they are a versatile variety, suitable to mash, roast or bake, perfect for sweet or savoury dishes such as our Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup or Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad.
- Sea salt – we use coarse cooking salt, not fine table salt.
- Garlic – we add peeled, whole cloves to the cooking water, along with the salt, to add flavour to the sweet potatoes.
- Unsalted butter – we use unsalted butter in the mash and the topping, so we are better able to control the amount of salt in the dish.
- Milk – we have used full fat milk. Use the milk of your choice.
- Spring onions – also known as scallions or green onions. We use the white part and some of the green to add flavour to the mash. If you wish, keep some of the green to use as a garnish.
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to get the best result from your dish, it is essential to season the mash before adding the topping.
- Panko breadcrumbs - these are light, flaky breadcrumbs, readily available in the supermarket. They make the topping extra crispy.
- Sage leaves – the vibrant, herbaceous flavour of fresh sage complements the sweet, savoury notes of the mashed sweet potato. Do not use dried sage.
Variations:
Sage – if you wish, you could substitute with fresh rosemary or thyme, they both complement the natural sweetness of the sweet potatoes.
Panko breadcrumbs – for gluten-free, use the appropriate breadcrumbs.
Spring onions/scallions – you could use chives instead.
How To Make Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes:
Please see the recipe card further along in the post for exact quantities of ingredients and the full method.
1 – Boil the potatoes:
Peel the sweet potatoes and trim the ends. Cut into 2.5 cm (1-inch) pieces. Place the potatoes and garlic cloves into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the sea salt and bring to the boil. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.
Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan to remove excess moisture.
2 – Prepare your breadcrumb topping:
To make the topping, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add to a medium size bowl along with the breadcrumbs and thyme leaves. Stir to combine well. Set aside until you’re ready to use.
3 – Mash the potatoes:
Mash the sweet potato and garlic together, then add the butter and mix well until it melts. Add the milk and mix to combine. Lastly, mix in the spring onions and season well to taste with salt and pepper.
4 – Add to your baking dish:
Add the sweet potato mixture to your greased baking dish and smooth the top.
Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mashed potato. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and crispy and the potatoes are warmed through. Garnish with finely chopped spring onion greens.
Hint: your sweet potatoes should be sufficiently tender to be able to mash easily, but not overcooked or they will become mushy and lose flavour. Also, they will have absorbed too much water which will spoil the creaminess of your mash. Ensure that the potato is seasoned to your liking before adding it to the casserole dish.
Tips for Success, Storage and FAQs:
Yes, you can make them a day ahead if you wish. Prepare the mashed sweet potato and place it in the casserole – keep the topping separate. When it is cool, cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature, add the topping and bake as per the recipe. If the dish is baked from fridge temperature, allow 30-40 minutes.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. However, if the mash has been out of the fridge for 2 hours, it should be discarded.
Reheat, covered, in a preheated oven at 180 degrees C (355 F) for about 30 minutes or until ready. Uncover the dish for the last 10 minutes to help the topping re-crisp.
You certainly can. Just use gluten-free breadcrumbs.
Look for small to medium sweet potatoes with firm flesh and free from cracks and blemishes. Store in a cool, dry, dark location.
Top Tip:
To ensure the sweet potatoes cook evenly, start them in cold water. Returning the cooked sweet potatoes to the hot saucepan for a minute or two helps dry out some of the water sticking to them and avoids diluting the creaminess of the milk and butter. Also, I like to add the butter to the hot potatoes to ensure that it completely melts before adding the milk.
Serving Suggestions:
My Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes are extremely versatile. Some of the ways to serve it are:
- As a side dish at your festive celebration. We love it alongside our Marmalade Glazed Ham or Roast Chicken and find it a great advantage that it can be made ahead of time.
- At a barbecue, it is a great addition to meats or sausages.
- Alongside dishes such as our Chicken Rissoles.
- Take it to a potluck – it travels well and is always a crowd-pleaser.
My Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes are pure comfort food, loved by friends and family alike. I look forward to hearing when you try them.
Alex xx
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Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Please note:
For accuracy, when weights are provided, we recommend weighing your ingredients. This will produce the best results. All oven temperatures listed are for fan forced.
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 1.5 kg (3.3 lb) sweet potatoes - I use gold See Note 1
- 2 teaspoon coarse cooking sea salt
- 4 cloves garlic – peeled and left whole
- cold water - to cover the potatoes
- 125 g (½ cup) unsalted butter
- 300 ml (1 ¼ cups) milk
- 3 spring/green onions – finely sliced, the whites and the green part – some of the green left aside for garnish
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper – to taste See Note 2
For the Topping:
- 60 g (¼ cup) unsalted butter
- 90 g (1 cup) panko breadcrumbs
- 2 teaspoon fresh sage leaves – finely chopped
Instructions
- Grease a ceramic dish with a little oil or butter – I used a dish that measures 30 x 18 cm (12 x 7 inches.)Preheat your oven to 200 degrees C (390 F.)
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 2.5 cm (1 inch) pieces.Place the sweet potatoes and garlic cloves into a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Add in the sea salt. Bring to the boil and cook for 10-12 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
- Remove them from the heat and drain the sweet potatoes. Return them to the saucepan.Using a potato masher, mash the sweet potato and garlic. Add in the butter and mix to melt. Add in the milk and mix to combine. Lastly, mix in the spring onions and season well to taste with salt and pepper.
- Add the potato mixture to your greased baking dish and smooth the top.
- To make the topping, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add to a medium size bowl along with the breadcrumbs and sage leaves. Stir to combine well and set aside.Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the mashed sweet potato.
- Bake in your preheated oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the sweet potatoes are warmed through. Garnish with some of the leftover finely chopped spring onion greens.
Notes
- Sweet potatoes: I use gold sweet potatoes.
- Seasoning: adjust the seasoning to your liking – we recommend using freshly ground black pepper and sea salt.
- Gluten and dairy-free: use the appropriate this dish has been tested with gluten-free flour and breadcrumbs and comes out perfectly. If you are unable to source gluten-free breadcrumbs, simply omit and instead score the top with a fork for a crispy finish. Dairy free milk and butter can be substituted if necessary.
- Make in advance: you can prepare the dish a day in advance but don’t add the breadcrumbs until just before you are ready to bake it. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes prior to heating. It will take longer to heat than if cooked from fresh (approx. 30-40 minutes) and you may need to cover with foil to stop the breadcrumbs from getting too brown.
- Storage: store leftovers, well covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat the Baked Mashed Sweet Potatoes, covered with foil, at 180 degrees C (355 F) for 30-40 minutes or until hot.
- Freezing: wrap the dish well in cling film to avoid freezer burn and it drying out. Defrost in the fridge.
Nutrition Estimate:
Nutritional Disclaimer:
The nutritional information is an estimate only, and is derived from online calculators. For accurate results, we recommend calculating the nutritional information based on the ingredients and brands you use.
Elaine Cammack says
Can’t to try this sweet potato recipe it sounds delicious. Thanks
Alexandra Cook says
I hope you'll enjoy it, Elaine!
Alex xo
Rosytha Cony says
Do you mash the garlic Into the sweet potato ? I am so Looking forward o this recipe thank you!
Alexandra Cook says
Hi Rosytha,
We do indeed mash the garlic with the potato - it adds a subtle but delicious flavour.
Please let me know when you try the recipe! Alex xo