Potato and Sweet Potato Mash with No Sugar
Sneak Peek: This Potato and Sweet Potato Mash blends white and sweet potatoes for a colorful, flavorful, perfectly balanced side—not too sweet or heavy.
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Are you tired of sweet potato casseroles that make you want a can of Redi-Whip to top them off?
I love a good sweet potato pie—for dessert. But when I’m eating turkey, roast beef, or even green bean casserole, it doesn’t seem fitting to plop a brown sugar, butter-saturated spoonful of sweet potatoes down next to them.
If you feel the same way, this recipe is a beautiful alternative.
Three Reasons To Mix Sweet Potatoes and White Potatoes
Balanced Flavor: Sweet potatoes can overwhelm; white potatoes balance sweetness and savory while adding texture.
Less Gravy, More Flavor: If you’re cutting back on gravy, the natural flavor boost from sweet potatoes can enhance the dish on its own.
No Potatoes Left Behind: Pair a lone white or sweet potato with the opposite. (Use leftover potatoes for Perfected Potato Burger Buns or Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls, Spicy Pecan-Crusted Sweet Potato Balls, or Skinny Baked Sweet Potato Chips.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- WHITE POTATOES:
- Russet or Yukon Gold; Peeled or not
- Variety and age will affect the amount of liquid needed
- Substitute cauliflower, parsnips, or turnips (will change the flavor slightly)
- Russet or Yukon Gold; Peeled or not
- SWEET POTATOES:
- Yams not a good substitute; also not purple sweet potatoes as the color bleeds when cooked
- 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. I rarely see yams in the grocery store in the United States unless it is a specialty market.
- Sub butternut squash, carrots, or pumpkin for a different flavor profile but similar texture
- Yams not a good substitute; also not purple sweet potatoes as the color bleeds when cooked
- SALT
- Table salt, sea salt, or Kosher salt
- Sub herbs like garlic powder or celery salt for added flavor
- BUTTER:
- Unsalted or salted
- Sub coconut oil
- For a lighter twist, try Greek yogurt
- MILK:
- Nonfat, 2% or whole milk
- Sub broth, almond milk, coconut milk, or oat milk
- PEPPER:
- Fresh ground pepper–first choice
- Substitute paprika or ground cayenne for some heat
How To Make White and Sweet Potato Mash
Parting thoughts: Because these potatoes aren’t full of sugar, I enjoy them throughout the year as a change from the more common bowl of mashed potatoes. I hope you do, too.
More Recipes for Potato Lovers:
Help at Your Fingertips: For questions or suggestions, email Paula at saladinajar.com. If you need help, I’m happy to troubleshoot via email (faster than leaving a comment). Attach pictures and as many details as possible for the best advice.
Potato and Sweet Potato Mash Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds (680 g) white potatoes peeled and diced into 2-inch pieces
- 1 ½ pound (680 g) sweet potatoes peeled and diced into 2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) butter divided
- ⅔ cup (162 ⅔ g) warmed milk divided
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Place 1 1/2 pounds (680 g) white potatoes into the bottom of a saucepan, then 1 1/2 pound (680 g) sweet potatoes. 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.
- 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 plastic gloves to remove the hot sweet potatoes.
- Mash the sweet potatoes your favorite way. (I use a ricer, but a potato masher or portable mixer is also good.)
- Start with about 2 tablespoons of the 2/3 cup (162 ⅔ g) warmed milk and half of 6 tablespoons (84 g) butter. Add more milk, if needed, to make potatoes creamy and smooth but not runny. Taste to see if they need more salt. Add freshly ground pepper (1/8 teaspoon)
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 with the white potatoes. Again, start with about 2 tablespoons of milk and the remaining butter. Add more milk, as needed, until the consistency matches your sweet potatoes. Taste to see if they need more salt. Add freshly ground pepper (1/8 teaspoon)
- 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.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Paula Rhodes, owner
As a retired home economist, I created Saladinajar.com to share my belief that you don’t have to be a chef to find joy in creating homemade food worth sharing. Bread machines (used in an unconventional way), homemade yogurt, and quick microwave recipes are my specialty.