If you’re like me, you are probably not a fan of the super sugary-tasting sweet potato casseroles that appear everywhere during the Thanksgiving and the winter holidays. 
To me, these orange root vegetables are already SWEET, no need for added sugar, marshmallows or other nonsense. Read on to get the recipe for Mashed Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions – it’ savory (offset by natural light sweetness) and simply delicious.
First of all, lets just give thanks to the sweet potato. It’s an extremely nutritious superfood bursting with health benefits. Sweet potatoes are a great source of fiber, vitamin C, vitamin A, manganese and various antioxidants such as beta-carotene. Personally, I love sweet potatoes every which way and one of the easiest ways to enjoy a soft, scrumptious, savory sweet potato while also making enough to serve to a crowd is to buy a bundle, boil them and mash them up.
How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Preparing sweet potatoes for mashing is super easy. Simply choose about four pounds of good-looking sweet potatoes – wash them, peel them and cut into approximate 1.5-inch cubes. Don’t cut too small or I’ve found they will absorb extra water and yield a watery finished dish. Place in a big stock pot and fille with water to an inch over the top of potatoes. Boil uncovered for about 12 to 15 minutes or until fork tender. Drain into colander to remove all excess water and use a large fork or potato masher to get fairly smooth texture (although some lumps okay, I actually prefer it that way).
How to Make Mashed Sweet Potatoes Creamy
I add a rosemary butter (see below) and 2% milk, you can also use any type of milk you prefer and/or sour cream or Greek yogurt. But, if following a vegan or Paleo diet, or otherwise dairy-free, you can use coconut cream in lieu of the diary products. My suggested amounts aren’t set in stone in the following recipe, it really just depends on how much water the root absorbed while cooking, if it all got properly drained off, and also personal preference on thick or thin mashed sweet potatoes. It’s always best to start out with less liquids and creamy things – it’s easy to add more, but impossible to take it away. 
Adding Rosemary to Mashed Sweet Potatoes
I love the assertive, piney flavor of rosemary – but a little goes a long way! You can easily find it fresh in the produce department — or if I often forage it from the wild here in Austin, it’s everywhere!
My first go-round with this sweet potato side dish recipe used a rosemary-infused butter I made in a convenient herbal infusing machine – the end result of this compound butter was amazing, a super easy process, and didn’t leave little pieces of rosemary in the butter – but also was a little more time-consuming and not accessible for everyone. So, on my second making – I made the same recipe except used regular butter and then added finely, finely chopped rosemary leaves and let it marinate together for a bit. The result was just as good considering it now became a 30-minute side dish. The choice is yours — the LEVO II machine in photo here below if your are intrigued.
How to Caramelize Onions
If you’ve never caramelized onions, you are missing out! Turn plain-Jane onions (pretty much any variety) into a delicious, deep, rich and slightly sweet topping for sweet potatoes . . . and also pizzas, sandwiches, soups and nearly everything. It takes about 30 minutes to caramelize an onion, and the key to getting it done that quickly is to slice the onion very thin and cook in a heavy pan over medium-high heat, stirring very frequently until softened, sticky and a shade of almost medium brown. Also, by splashing a bit of maple syrup and the very end allows the onions to go into that final voyage to flavor city thanks to the natural sugars. Just watch carefully so they don’t burn. 
Keep stirring onions over medium heat until a medium brown color and soft, sticky consistency.
These Mashed Rosemary Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onions pair perfectly with turkey and beef roast – making them a winning last-minute side dish for Thanksgiving or other holiday meals. I think the rosemary sweet potatoes also go well with a hearty fish like halibut and make a nice base for a nourishing “bowl meal” with various toppings. Rosemary mashed sweet potatoes can also be incorporated into side dishes – like this one, or tossed with sauteed mushrooms is another favorite pair up.
Hope you enjoy this recipe, you can never have too many easy sweet potato recipes in your repertoire, am I right?! And topping a bowl of these smashed beauties with amazing caramelized onions with just a hint of maple sweetness is a game changer as a holiday meal side dish or everyday sweet potato recipe.
Also, I’ll sent you off with one more easy sweet potato recipe for a crowd — it’s my Cauliflower Sweet Potato Mash and it’s my most viral pin on Pinterest . . . check it out!
A flavorful and not-too-sweet side dish for your Thanksgiving meal, holiday dinner or any time!
- For onions:
- 1 large sweet onion like Vidalia or 1015
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil or other high smoke-point oil
- ½ tsp. salt
- 1 tbsp. real maple syrup
- For Sweet Potatoes:
- 4 lbs. sweet potatoes
- ¼ cup butter
- 1 tbsp. fresh rosemary needles
- ½ cup milk of choice I used 2% diary milk
- 2 tsp. salt
- Garnish: additional rosemary sprigs
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To begin this dish, start caramelizing the onions, as that takes about 20 to 30 minutes and they should be done just about the time the sweet potatoes are finished and mashed.
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To make the onions, peel outer skins of onion and slice in half crosswise. The make close fanning knife cuts to make slivers of onion. Repeat on other onion half.
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Add onion slivers to skillet with avocado oil. Sauté over medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring very frequently, until softened and onions a rich brown color. In last minute of cooking sprinkle with salt and stir in maple syrup. During cooking process if onions seem like they are starting to burn, immediate lower the heat a bit. If they finish before potatoes, just move off to another burner.
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To make sweet potato mash, wash, peel and cut sweet potato into approximate 1 ½” chunks. Place in large stock pot and fill with water until potatoes are covered by 1” water.
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Bring to boil on high, then lower to medium and continue to boil for approximate 12 to 15 minutes or until potatoes are fork-tender.
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While potatoes are cooking, finely chop rosemary needles and place, along with butter, in microwave save bowl. Microwave for 30 to 45 seconds until melted. Set aside and let rosemary and butter flavors marry together while sweet potatoes continue to cook. If you don’t like the texture of rosemary needles in sweet potatoes (I don’t mind it), then pour through a small-gauge strainer to remove them*
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When sweet potatoes are soft, drain cook sweet potatoes into colander to ensure all water being drained off. Return them to pot.
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Use potato masher or large fork to mash up to a moderately smooth consistency (some lumps okay, in my opinion).
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Pour in “rosemary butter” and milk, stir around. Until combined and creamy.
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Top with caramelized onions, as soon as they are done, and garnish with an extra sprig of rosemary.
*You can also make smooth rosemary butter in an herbal infuser machine, if desired.