Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Brown Sugar

Ingredients you’ll need to make these sweet potatoes:

Potatoes:

• 4-5 medium to large sweet sweet potatoes peeled and diced
• 1/3 cup milk (can swap half and half or heavy cream)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar (or more to taste)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons parsley (optional garnish)

approximately 9 x 9 inch baking dish.

Brown sugar streusel topping:

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon cooked to crisp and diced (reserve 1 tablespoon bacon fat)
• 2 tablespoons melted butter
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped

How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar and Bacon:

1. Cook bacon in a large skillet, air fryer or bake in the oven (your preferred method) until crispy. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat, rough chop the bacon and set it aside.
2. Brown sugar streusel topping: In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Stir in flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, diced pecans and most of the bacon, leaving some for the garnish. Set aside.
3. Cook sweet potatoes: Peel and chop potatoes into about 1 1/2″ cubes. Add peeled sweet potatoes to large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, season with salt and cook over medium heat until fork tender, about 15 minutes (cooking time will vary with size of potato chunks) Drain potatoes and return to a same pot.
4. Mash: Turn heat up under the pot for 15-30 seconds to remove any exces moisture. Add butter, letting the heat from the potatoes melt it. Pour in about half of the milk, bacon fat, cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes to your desired consistency – smooth or a rustic consistency – add remaining milk as needed.

1. Prep the casserole dish: Butter an approximately 9×9″ baking dish (or similar size). Transfer mashed sweet potatoes to the baking dish smoothing the top.
2. Sprinkle streusel topping over the potatoes.
3. Bake 15-18 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden.
4. Add remaining bacon to the top of the streusel. Broil 1 minutes to recrisp the bacon (watch close so it doesn’t burn).
5. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley and serve warm.

Tips, subs and variations:

• Keep the potatoes warm in a slow cooker (warm setting).
• Seasoning options: a pinch of black pepper or fresh thyme.
• Don’t skip getting excess moisture from potatoes before mashing (see step above).
• Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave. and reheat with a splash of warm milk.
• Swap heavy cream for milk.
• Sub real maple syrup for brown sugar.
• Add a dollop of sour cream or even goat cheese to the mashed potatoes.
• Use a hand masher – an electric hand mixer may make the potatoes gummy.
• Brown butter before adding to potatoes.

Storage and heatign:

Cool leftover potatoes completely then transfer to an airtight container. Keep in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.

Full details in the printable recipe card below. Enjoy!

Mashed Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar and Bacon

Easy, elevated holiday side dish – creamy mashed sweet potatoes with a

Mashed sweet potatoes – creamy, buttery – with a crispy bacon, brown sugar-pecan topping. This easy, comforting side dish elevates any holiday meal!

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8 servings

Calories

Equipment

• 9 x 9 baking dish
• potato masher

Ingredients

  

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The potatoes:

• 4-5 medium-large sweet potatoes peeled and diced 1 1/2" cubes
• 1/3 cup milk or to desired consistency
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons parsley optional garnish

Brown Sugar Topping:

• 4 slices thick cut bacon cooked to crisp and diced. RESERVE 1 tablespoon bacon fat
• 2 tablespoons butter melted
• 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup pecans chopped
• pinch salt

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Instructions

 

• Cook bacon to crisp: skillet, air fry or oven (whatever your preferred method). RESERVE 1 tablespoon of bacon fat, rough chop the bacon and set it aside.
• Make the brown sugar topping: In a medium microwave safe bowl, melt butter. Stir in flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, diced pecans and most of the bacon, leaving some for the garnish. Set aside.
• Peel and dice potatoes into about 1 1/2″ cubes. Addo large pot of cold water. Bring to a boil, season with salt and cook over medium heat until fork tender (about 15 minutes). Cook time will vary with size of potatoes. Drain potatoes and return them to a same pot.
• Turn up the heat up under the pot for 15-30 seconds to remove any excess moisture. Add butter, letting the heat from the potatoes melt it. Pour in about half of the milk and all of the bacon fat, cinnamon, vanilla and brown sugar. Use a potato masher to mash potatoes to your desired consistency – add remaining milk as needed.
• Butter an approximately 9×9″ or similar size baking dish. Transfer mashed sweet potatoes to the baking dish smoothing the top.
• Sprinkle brown sugar topping over the potatoes. Bake 15-18 minutes at 375 degrees or until golden. Add remainng bacon to the top. Broil 1 minute to recrisp the bacon (watch closely so it doesn't burn!). Remove from the oven, sprinkle with fresh parsley (optional) and serve warm.

Notes

If you made this recipe, let me know what you and your family thought with a comment  and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating!

• Potatoes can be kept warm in in a slow cooker (warm setting).
• Be sure to remove excess moisture from potatoes before mashing so they aren’t gummy. It’s easy!  Drain potatoes then transfer them back to the pot, turn up the heat for a few seconds. That’s it!
• Real real maple syrup can be subbed for brown sugar.
• Highly recommend using a hand/potato masher. Electric mixers can make mashed potatoes gummy.

Keyword sweet potato casserole, mashed sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes with brown sugar and bacon, mashed sweet potatoes with brown sugar and bacon, mashed sweet potatoes

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