Sweet potatoes are awesome. They don’t need much to taste great. In fact, they taste pretty great just on their own. They also pack a pretty nice nutritional punch: sweet potatoes are rich in complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. When I’m feeling healthy, the sweet potatoes in our house are enjoyed just by themselves, without any ingredient friends. However, when I’m feeling a little more indulgent, this is the recipe I go to:

Sweet Potato Mash

with Marshmallow – Pecan topping

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3 c. sweet potatoes, cooked and peeled*
1-2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce, finely minced (optional)
1/4 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. sugar
5 tbl. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
Mini Marshmallows
Chopped dry-roasted Pecans

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*You can really use any method you want to cook the potatoes (roast, steam, etc). However, I usually just cook them the fastest way possible: microwave. Simply pierce the sweet potatoes all over with a fork (to avoid them bursting while cooking) and stick them in the microwave on a plate for 3 minutes. Flip them over, and microwave another 3 minutes. Keep doing this until they feel soft to the touch. Take out of the microwave and let rest for about 5 minutes. Cut lengthwise in half and scoop the flesh out of the skin into a mixing bowl (I put them right into my kitchen aid stand mixer).

Preheat oven to 350. Add butter, sugars, chipotle (if using), salt, and vanilla to the sweet potato in mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until combined. Add milk and starting on low speed (to avoid splatter), work your way up to whipping the sweet potato mixture until smooth. For a family style presentaiton, pour into an 8×8 baking dish. If you want to impress your dinner guests, pour into individual ramekins (pictured are my Le Creuset Mini Cocottes). Add as many mini marshmallows and chopped pecans on top of the mixture as you would like. Cover with aluminum foil and cook in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes. Take off foil and cook until the tops of the marshmallows are golden brown, about 5-10 minutes.