A Holiday Treat: A Savory Something from Chad Larsen

Get ready for a mouthwatering recipe! Today, Chad Larsen shares a recipe his wife makes during the holiday season. Be sure to read to the end - he included a bonus recipe that pairs perfectly with the chipotle smashed sweet potatoes. 

“My wife makes this for Thanksgiving, and sometimes Christmas too. She knows I love sweet potatoes as a holiday favorite. She didn’t like the sweetness of the version with marshmallows on top that my mother made. So, this was her ‘compromise’ version. I have come to love the sweetness of the potato with the spiciness of the chipotle. A delicious combination.”

Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes (Recipe from barefoot contessa)

Ingredients:

❖ 4 pounds sweet potatoes (6 potatoes)

❖ 1 cup whole milk

❖ 1 cup heavy cream

❖ 1 tbsp minced chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, with seeds, such as Goya

❖ 1 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can of chiles)

❖ ¼ cup pure Grade A maple syrup

❖ 4 tbsp (½ stick)  unsalted butter, diced

❖ Kosher salt 

❖ Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

❖ Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil.

❖ Place the sweet potatoes on the prepared sheet pan and pierce each potato 4 times with a small knife. 

❖ Roast for 1 to 1¼ hours, until very tender inside when tested with a knife. Set aside until cool enough to handle. (Leave the oven on.) 

❖ Peel the potatoes, discard the skins, and place the potatoes in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

❖  Meanwhile, place the milk, cream, chipotle chile, and adobo sauce in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. (It might look curdled.)

❖ With the mixer on low speed, add the chipotle-milk mixture to the sweet potatoes. Add the maple syrup, butter, and 1 tablespoon salt. Mix until the potatoes are coarsely pureed. 

❖ Pour into a 9 × 12 × 2-inch oval oven-to-table baking dish and bake for 30 minutes, until heated through. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and serve hot.

Chad recommends adding some of these to one of his favorite sandwiches. 

“I love the Turkey Terrific Sandwich from Provisions on Nantucket. Grab some Portuguese Bread and add mayo, sliced fresh turkey, stuffing/dressing, and cranberry sauce. When I make this at home, I’ll add some of Ina’s Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes to guild the lily!”