Savory Sweet Potato Mash

Cute little serving of the sweet potato mash.

About two weeks ago, I was lucky enough to have gum surgery (insert sarcasm here).  Seriously, I had been dreading this procedure (gum grafts due to genetic recession, for all you dental folks out there) for about three years. I’d had it done as a teenager and remembered it as quite literally the most painful thing I’d experienced. Ever. Lucky for me, I was introduced to Dr. David Yu here in town, and the experience was actually surprisingly pleasant all around (well, as pleasant as gum surgery can really ever be).  If you ever need Perio work and you live in Austin, go see Dr. Yu. Seriously.

How does this have anything to do with Paleo eating?  Well, since converting to Paleo in April of this year, I’ve been really strict about following the guidelines, and I’ve been feeling fantastic. However, as all of you who’ve had mouth surgery in the past know, the recommended post-surgery fare is pretty much limited to milkshakes, pudding, applesauce, and mashed potatoes.  Couple that with the fact that I wouldn’t be able to work out for a week, and I was TERRIFIED of how my body was going to react.

So, I looked for some health(ier) options to get me through the requisite “mushy” food stage.  Enter mashed sweet potatoes.

Savory Sweet Potato Mash
Quantity: totally scalable…
Time: about 30 minutes
Paleo Grade: C (I do add grass-fed butter. It tastes real good…)

• 3 sweet potatoes (about 2 lb), peeled and cut into 1″ cubes
• 1/2 cup unsalted grass-fed butter (we use Kerrygold), cubed and at room temperature
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Bring a large soup pot of water to boil on the stove.  Once boiling, drop in your cubed sweet potato and boil until soft (about 20 min).
2. Drain potatoes and place in the bowl of your stand mixer (I use a KitchenAid. I love it.) Add in room-temp grass-fed butter and use the paddle attachment on low/low-medium to mash/whip the potatoes.
3. Add the cinnamon, salt, and pepper and mix on low until evenly distributed.
4. Serve and enjoy!

These are great served immediately, and I love them reheated as well.  They’re a great option for a make-ahead side for a dinner party!

I paired the potatoes with the Seriously Tasty Paleo Meatloaf from the folks over at Health-Bent. Delicious!