This Sweet Potato Mash with Lemon and Sage makes the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
The sweet potatoes are boiled in broth/stock before being mashed with olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, and plenty of salt and pepper.
Once mashed they are topped with a nutty brown butter and crispy sage leaves! Delicious and comforting.

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Watch how to make it:
This Mashed Sweet Potato is a quick and easy side dish, perfect for the holidays as it can be made ahead of time and doesn't need space in the oven.
A must make for Thanksgiving or Christmas, especially if you aren't a fan of the marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes. The nutty brown sage butter gives it the most delicious savory flavor!
How to make a nutty sage butter
- Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.
- TOP TIP: Don't use a dark colored pan. If you use a silver or pale pan you can see more easily when the butter is ready. Yes I use a black pan in the video! (DOH!)
- As the butter is melting, add in the sage leaves.
- Cook the butter over medium heat until it is foaming and a nutty brown color.
- You'll see little brown bits at the bottom of your butter.
Enjoy x
For more sweet potato recipes why not try:
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Mashed Sweet Potato with Lemon and Sage
Ingredients
- 4 lb sweet potatoes
- 4 cups broth/stock - see note 1
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoon butter
- 12 sage leaves
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Peel the 4lb/1.8kg of sweet potato and cut into 1″ cubes.
- Place the cubed sweet potatoes in a large saucepan and add in 4 cups/1 litre of broth/stock. Top up with water so the potatoes are covered by at least 1" of liquid. Add a teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook uncovered, until the potatoes are tender. (Around 10 to 12 minutes.)
- Drain the potatoes and put them back in the saucepan over low heat for 30 seconds. (see note 2)
- Remove the potatoes from the heat then add in 2 teaspoons of olive oil, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice, 1 tablespoon of lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon of black pepper.
- Use a potato masher or fork to mash the sweet potatoes to your desired consistency. (see note 3)
- Give the potatoes a taste and add more salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. (see note 4)
- Cover the pan, to retain the heat.
- Place 3 tablespoons of butter into a small saucepan, allow the butter to melt and then add in 12 sage leaves. Cook this over medium heat until the butter is foamy and starting to turn a nutty brown. Remove from the heat.
- Serve the sweet potato mash in a large bowl and pour over the sage brown butter.
Video
Notes
- Use low sodium vegetable or chicken broth. The broth/stock adds extra flavor to the potatoes but you can use all water instead.
- Popping the potatoes back over the heat for 30 seconds lets the excess moisture evaporate leading to a fluffier mash.
- You can leave the mashed sweet potatoes chunky or keep mashing until they are super smooth. Don't use a mixer as this can make the potatoes dense.
- I find most people the recipe as written is great for our family. I will add a little more salt and pepper at the table, but for my kids, the mash has enough salt and pepper in it. Taste your mash and add more as needed.
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