By Becky Hardin
Updated Nov 7, 2025
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes are creamy, buttery, and easy to make in just 30 minutes! This is one of my favorite Thanksgiving side dishes to whip up every year. Once you make it, it’ll probably become your new favorite way to prepare sweet potatoes, too.
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Easy Savory Mashed Sweet Potato Recipe
If you love sweet potatoes as much as I do, you are going to love this recipe. I’ve taken your basic mashed sweet potatoes and given them a delicious upgrade by adding not just butter but cream cheese, too, as well as a little sprinkling of Parisienne herbs, salt, and pepper. The result is a super creamy and rich dish that is the perfect holiday side dish.
If you don’t have any herb mixes, use whatever you’ve got on hand—rosemary, oregano, and basil would all taste great. Or, you could opt for going on the sweet side by adding in brown sugar and cinnamon.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 4 lbs. sweet potatoes about 6 medium, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
- ▢ 1½ tsp kosher salt
- ▢ ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ▢ ½ tsp Parisien Bonnes Herbes a blend of chives, dill weed, French basil, French tarragon, chervil, and white pepper
- ▢ 4 oz. cream cheese softened, regular, not low fat
- ▢ 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened & more for garnish
Instructions
- Steam or boil the sweet potatoes until it is easy to slide a thin knife in and out, about 15 minutes. 4 lbs. sweet potatoes
- If boiling, drain the potatoes over a colander. If steaming, remove the potatoes and drain the water from the pot.
- Return the potatoes to the pot set over medium-low heat. Mash the potatoes for 20-30 seconds, just until excess liquid has cooked off. (This will remove any residual water in the pot and on the potatoes.) Remove the pot from the heat and mash the potatoes until a chunky consistency is achieved.
- Add the salt, black pepper, herbs, cream cheese, and butter. 1½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp Parisien Bonnes Herbes, 4 oz. cream cheese, 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Season to taste, if necessary and mash the potatoes until they are smooth and creamy.
- Top the potatoes with a sprinkling of Parisien Bonnes Herbes and a couple of pats of softened butter. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes Step by Step
Cook the sweet potatoes: Steam or boil 6 sweet potatoes until they are easy to pierce. This usually takes me about 15 minutes.
If you boiled the potatoes, drain well. If you steamed them, drain the water from the pot.
Return the potatoes to the pot and set them over medium-low heat. Mash the potatoes for 20-30 seconds so that the excess liquid cooks off. Remove the pot from the heat and mash the potatoes until a chunky consistency is achieved.
Stir in 1½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp Parisien Bonnes Herbes, 4 oz. cream cheese, and 4 tbsp unsalted butter.
Adjust the seasoning and, if necessary, mash the potatoes until they are smooth and creamy.
Garnish and serve: Top the potatoes with a sprinkling of Parisien Bonnes Herbes and a couple of pats of softened butter. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
How to Store
Once cooled to room temperature, you can store left over sweet potato mash in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring each time it stops, until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
I like to enjoy all of the best food on Thanksgiving with classic recipes like Thanksgiving turkey , a side of homemade stuffing , along with turkey gravy and homemade cranberry sauce to round it all out.
more sweet potato recipes to try
Sweet Potato Souffle Cups
Baked Sweet Potato Chips
The PERFECT Baked Sweet Potato (with Cinnamon Sugar)
Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Savory Mashed Sweet Potatoes Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 lbs. sweet potatoes about 6 medium, peeled and cut into 1” cubes
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- ½ tsp Parisien Bonnes Herbes a blend of chives, dill weed, French basil, French tarragon, chervil, and white pepper
- 4 oz. cream cheese softened, regular, not low fat
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter softened & more for garnish
Instructions
- Steam or boil the sweet potatoes until it is easy to slide a thin knife in and out, about 15 minutes. 4 lbs. sweet potatoes
- If boiling, drain the potatoes over a colander. If steaming, remove the potatoes and drain the water from the pot.
- Return the potatoes to the pot set over medium-low heat. Mash the potatoes for 20-30 seconds, just until excess liquid has cooked off. (This will remove any residual water in the pot and on the potatoes.) Remove the pot from the heat and mash the potatoes until a chunky consistency is achieved.
- Add the salt, black pepper, herbs, cream cheese, and butter. 1½ tsp kosher salt, ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper, ½ tsp Parisien Bonnes Herbes, 4 oz. cream cheese, 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Season to taste, if necessary and mash the potatoes until they are smooth and creamy.
- Top the potatoes with a sprinkling of Parisien Bonnes Herbes and a couple of pats of softened butter. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
