Chipotle-Glazed Sweet Potatoes with Crispy Bacon

Mashed sweet potatoes with a chipotle kick and crispy bacon—an easy, savory side dish perfect for a weeknight or for Thanksgiving.

Do you ever have one of those days when nothing seems to go right? Mine started with a forgotten dishwasher cycle and a toddler accident, and spiraled from there. By the time I needed nothing more than mozzarella and cherry tomatoes at the grocery store, the smallest tasks felt like a production. A toddler refused to swap her preferred tomato box, a box of cherry tomatoes rolled down the aisle, and I nearly dropped my wallet several times. Even so, once I stepped back and laughed at the chaos, it turned into a strangely entertaining afternoon.

Amid the grocery-store comedy, I kept thinking about dinner. These chipotle mashed sweet potatoes are exactly the kind of comforting, flavorful side I needed. They’re smoky, slightly spicy, and finished with crisp bacon and fresh green onion. This is not the sugary, marshmallow-covered sweet potato of holiday clichés—this is savory, mashable comfort that can stand alongside roast turkey or grilled meats.

The recipe is delightfully simple: sweet potatoes, butter, chopped chipotle peppers, a bit of adobo sauce, salt, and a sprinkle of cooked bacon and chopped green onion. Mash everything together until creamy but still textured—these are great as a lighter alternative to traditional mashed potatoes, and they add a smoky, spicy note that many guests will love.

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes with Bacon

5 from 1 vote

Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 30 mins

Servings: 8 Servings

Mashed sweet potatoes with a chipotle kick and bacon—an easy, savory side for weeknights or the holidays.

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 1/2 to 3 teaspoons chipotle pepper, chopped
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from can of peppers
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1 green onion, chopped

Instructions

1. Fill a saucepan with about 3 inches of water, cover, and bring to a boil.
2. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Place the cubes in a steamer basket.
3. Once the water is boiling, reduce to a simmer and position the steamer basket over the water with the lid on (water should be at least 2 inches below the basket).
4. Steam for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
5. Transfer the potatoes to a bowl. Add butter and mash with a potato masher. Stir in chopped chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, and salt. Adjust chipotle to taste. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with crumbled bacon and chopped green onion.

Notes

If you don’t have a steamer, boiling the potatoes works fine, though steaming preserves more nutrients. Start with less chipotle and adobo sauce and add more to taste—chipotle peppers are fairly spicy. Canned chipotle chiles in adobo are usually found in the Latin aisle; freeze any leftover sauce in a sealed bag for later use.

Source: adapted from Alton Brown.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup
| Calories: 215kcal
| Carbohydrates: 35g
| Protein: 4g

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Calories: 215

Keyword: bacon, Chipotle, Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes

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