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With brown butter, garlic, maple syrup, bacon and fresh sage, this slow cooker mashed sweet potatoes recipe is the perfect side dish for the holidays. They are so easy and so good!
When it comes to the holidays, everyone has their go-to sides and I'm no different. From sweet corn pudding to old fashioned bread stuffing to baked cheddar mac and cheese.
While the traditional sweet potato side is sweet potato casserole, it is a little on the sweet end. That's where these slow cooker mashed sweet potatoes come into play as it leans more savory.
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful - they have slightly sweet flavor, offset by the saltiness from the bacon and nuttiness from the brown butter.
- Make ahead - being made in the slow cooker, you can prepare ahead of time or just keep warm while preparing all of the other dishes.
- Holiday friendly - these mashed sweet potatoes of course can be used for a standard meal, but they're great for the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you want a smoked version, try these smoked sweet potatoes.
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Ingredient Notes
- Sweet potatoes - the star of the show.
- Bacon - added texture and flavor.
- Unsalted butter - browning the butter gives great flavor.
- Garlic and sage - adds flavor.
- Maple syrup - adds sweetness.
- Salt and black pepper - enhances the flavor.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Add the sweet potatoes to the slow cooker and cook on high for 2-3 hours or low for 5-6 hours. Once cooked, mash until you get to your desired consistency.
Cook the bacon until crispy and drain the excess fat. Melt butter in the same skillet until it's starting to brown. Add the garlic and sage, cooking for 30 seconds.
Stir in the browned butter, maple syrup, salt, pepper and bacon.
FAQs
Yes the rest of the flavors will work just as well with russet potatoes. Half Baked Harvest has a great recipe that is similar with her butter herbed mashed potatoes.
I always go with fresh herbs if possible however you can use 1 teaspoon dried sage if you can't get fresh.
Honey works as well or dark brown sugar. You can use the same amount for either - 3 tbsp.
Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are super popular these days and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of sweet potatoes include:
- Great source of fiber, vitamins and minerals.
- Promotes gut health.
- Regulates blood pressure and sugar levels.
- Helps with keeping healthy vision.
- May improve brain function.
Oven Option
This mashed sweet potatoes recipe works just as well in the oven. I just like to make these in the slow cooker as most of my other recipes during Thanksgiving are using the oven and stove top. If you want to use the oven, preheat to 400°F. Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise and place cut side down on sheet pan.
Roast for 35-40 minutes or until you can easy squeeze the sweet potato so it would fall out of skin. Once cooked, remove skin and place in large mixing bowl before adding the rest of the ingredients.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the mashed sweet potatoes turn out. What is needed is the following:
- Slow cooker - make sure it is large enough to cook the potatoes.
- Potato masher - used to mash the potatoes.
- Skillet - you need something to cook the bacon and then brown the butter.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- You know the sweet potatoes are done when you can easily stick a fork or knife through the center of the potatoes.
- If you don't want to use a pan, you can place bacon on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
- You will know the brown butter is ready when there is a nutty aroma and there are lightly browned specks on the bottom of the pan.
Other Side Dish Recipes
If you’ve tried this slow cooker mashed sweet potatoes recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Slow Cooker Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 5 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2" chunks
- ½ lb bacon, chopped
- 1 ½ sticks unsalted butter (¾ cup)
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped
- 3 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Add chopped sweet potatoes to slow cooker and cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours.
- With 30 minutes left, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and cook until crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Drain the excess fat and transfer bacon to paper towel-lined plate.
- Melt butter in same skillet and cook until starting to brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and sage and cook for 30 seconds. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Using potato masher, mash sweet potatoes until desired consistency. Stir in browned butter, maple syrup, salt, pepper and bacon. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You know the sweet potatoes are done when you can easily stick a fork or knife through the center of the potatoes.
- If you don't want to use a pan, you can place bacon on parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes.
- You will know the brown butter is ready when there is a nutty aroma and there are lightly browned specks on the bottom of the pan.
Chris says
Big fan of brown butter!