So…remember me? I’m the person who skipped out on this blog for two months, only to pop back in like June to tell you I was back at it and then YOU DIDN’T HEAR FROM ME AGAIN UNTIL MID NOVEMBER RIGHT F%#CKING NOW. That’s me!!!!

As a brief update – which only seems fair – I went to Europe with my scientist boyfriend *flips hair* and then I got home and shortly thereafter started a new job at a non-profit in Houston. I then got busy and days turned into weeks turned into months of me sure, making time to go to the farmer’s market every Saturday, but not once cracking my laptop to post a recipe or even a condiment recommendation. The nerve.

Anyway, I said sorry so let’s move on. Oh, I didn’t say sorry? Too bad. Now, we have Thanksgiving to deal with!

Do you need to bring something last minute to a Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving or holiday potluck or just like, a dinner at your in-law’s house? Well then keep reading!

I am not a fan of sweet potato casserole. First of all, it’s way too sweet. I’d say sorry for the divisive comment but honestly Thanksgiving is in a few days and this has been a divisive year all around so we’re all just going to have to hurry up and process it on our own. Everyone good? Good.  I also don’t get the marshmallows. STOP BEING GROSS AND WEIRD!

Look, I get that maybe some people like this stuff and also some people may have no choice but to produce said casserole lest a Thanksgiving mutiny arise or a Lone Aunt loses her entire mind over it. But if you have a choice…

Maybe something a little more savory, a little sexier (than marshmallows?! HOW??). I’m talking Calabrian chili brown sage butter drizzled all over pillowy smashed jewel sweet potatoes*. Did you just get a little shiver? Me too.

This recipe has less than ten ingredients and requires very little effort on your part. If you have never browned butter before, all it takes is about 15 minutes and the mental fortitude to stand nearby, swish the saucepan occasionally and watch the color change. The end result is deeply nutty and rich, like you toasted butter (which you literally just did).

Now you can also just make these for yourself and watch Hallmark Christmas movies. It’s really none of our business.

 *Jewel sweet potatoes are a varietal that have deep orange flesh. You can use regular if these aren’t available.

Print Recipe

Savory Smashed Sweet Potatoes

If you, like me, are confounded by sickly sweet sweet potato casserole, then this will be a welcome change of pace for the holiday season. These sweet potatoes are nutty, rich, savory and just a touch spicy with no marshmallows in sight.

Course

Side

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

1.3 hours

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 6 medium Jewel sweet potatoes
• 1 ts olive oil
• 8 T salted butter (one stick)
• 1/2 ts kosher salt
• 2 sprigs sage just the leaves
• 1 T Calabrian chili in oil
• 1-2 T honey
• 1 T sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

Course Side Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 1.3 hours Servings servings Ingredients 6 medium Jewel sweet potatoes 1 ts olive oil 8 T salted butter (one stick) 1/2 ts kosher salt 2 sprigs sage just the leaves 1 T Calabrian chili in oil 1-2 T honey 1 T sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a baking dish large enough to fit all the sweet potatoes in one layer, drizzle olive oil over the sweet potatoes and rub it around with your fingers to coat. Bake until the sweet potatoes are extremely tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes.
3. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add the sage and salt and cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter is deeply golden – about 15 minutes. It will foam first and then once that subsides it will start to brown. Keep an eye on the butter! It can go from yellow to burnt fairly quickly.
4. Once butter is browned, remove from heat immediately and transfer to a heatproof bowl. Add chili oil, honey and vinegar and mix to combine. Scoop out those sage leaves and keep them for later.
5. Once your sweet potatoes are out of the oven and cooled enough to reasonably handle (having a regular spoon or tongs on hand can be helpful at this point), cut them in half lengthwise inside the baking dish. Arrange the halves cut-side-up so that they overlap (if needed) and there are no exposed bits of your baking dish.
6. Drizzle about 2/3 of your browned butter mixture over the potatoes and gently mash them with the back of a spoon to create pillowy dollops of smashed sweet potato. Drizzle the remaining butter on top and sprinkle with sage leaves.

Recipe Notes

These can be made ahead and kept warm, covered in foil in the oven (wait to add the last 1/3 of butter and sage until serving time) OR made 1-2 days ahead and then gently reheated in the oven. 

Calabrian chili in oil can be found in Houston at Central Market and, I'm guessing, Italian-heavy specialty shops. The internet is also a good bet.

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