Mashed White and Sweet Potato Swirl

Mashed White and Sweet Potato Swirl is a mixture of half white potatoes and half sweet potatoes. They come together to make a beautiful and tasty side dish. Cook the potatoes together but mash them separately. A quick swirl makes them special.

Updated January 2020.

Nothing beats a bowl of hot and buttery mashed potatoes, especially with good gravy. But what if your menu doesn’t include gravy?

In this situation, I will often choose sweet potatoes. But so often, a dish of 100% sweet potatoes can be cloying. Have you noticed how they seem to end up mixed with lots of butter, sugar, and spices?

RELATED POST: Spicy Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Balls

While I like that on Thanksgiving and Christmas, I don’t want it very often. 

Adding white potatoes seems to mellow out the sweet potatoes. They also complement each other texture and taste-wise.

If you have a lonely potato or two sitting on your kitchen counter, add it to potatoes of the other color. For example, if you only have one or two sweet potatoes, make up the difference with more white potatoes. It doesn’t matter.

FAQ about the potatoes:

#1

Can I substitute yams for sweet potatoes?

I don’t recommend it. Real yams are entirely different root vegetables that are more like yucca in texture and flavor. They are not even in the same family as sweet potatoes. In the United States, yams are not seen very often in grocery stores unless you go to a specialty market.

RELATED POST: Skinny Sweet Potato Chips

#2

Can I use white sweet potatoes or purple sweet potatoes for the orange ones?

White sweet potatoes and purple sweet potatoes (if you can find them) are generally interchangeable. Both varieties tend to be denser and starchier.

The novelty of the orange and white colors will be for naught if you use the white sweet potatoes. The purple potatoes may bleed into the white potatoes when you make the swirl since they are boiled first.

How do you prevent the colors from bleeding if you use purple potatoes? Mary-Frances Heck, author of Sweet Potatoes suggests roasting, sautéeing, or frying. As you can imagine, purple bleeding would blur the swirl effect in a bad way.

RELATED POST: A Cajun Dip for Sweet Potato Fries

#3

What variety of white potatoes are best?

Yukon Gold or russets are best, in that order. The variety and age of your potatoes affect how much milk you need to add. Start with less and add more milk only as need it to get the best texture.

#4

Do I have to peel the potatoes?

No, you can leave them unpeeled if you prefer. Scrub them well and cut into chunks. Leaving the skins on will give some texture and extra fiber.

Suit yourself on this one. You can peel both types of potatoes (specified in the recipe), or just the sweet potatoes, or don’t peel (but do scrub) at all.

What do I serve with this side dish?

Whenever you would serve mashed potatoes is a good time to serve this casserole. Try a little gravy over the top.

If you’re trying to cut back on gravy, this recipe is also a good way to go. The sweet potatoes add flavor.

Don’t save this dish for the fall and winter holidays alone.  It’s perfect with grilled meats–especially something spicy like sausage.

How to make Mashed White and Sweet Potato Swirl:

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Sweet and White Mashed Potato Swirl

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

White potatoes and sweet potatoes are cooked together, mashed separately, then swirled together to make an interesting and tasty side dish.

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds white potatoes, peeled and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into 2-inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons butter (divided)
• 2/3 cup warmed milk (divided)
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground pepper

Instructions

1. Place white potatoes into the bottom of a saucepan, then sweet potatoes on top. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Barely cover potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer until potatoes are fork-tender but not falling apart.
2. Drain potatoes. Remove sweet potatoes from the pan and place them into another bowl. Place white potatoes back into your original pan and let them dry while you mash the sweet potatoes. For this step, I put on exam gloves (which I always have in my kitchen) to remove the hot sweet potatoes.
3. Mash the sweet potatoes your favorite way. (I use a ricer, but a potato masher or portable mixer is also good.)
4. Start with about 2 tablespoons of warm milk. Add more, if needed, to make potatoes creamy and smooth but not runny. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the white potatoes. Again, start with about 2 tablespoons of milk. Add more milk, as needed, until the consistency matches your sweet potatoes.
6. Plop mashed sweet potatoes back into the pan with mashed white potatoes. Make a couple of folds with a spoon to barely mix. Move to a serving dish being careful not to mix too much.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 servings Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 271 Total Fat: 8g Saturated Fat: 5g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 22mg Sodium: 210mg Carbohydrates: 45g Fiber: 5g Sugar: 8g Protein: 5g