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Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

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LIZ DELLA CROCE

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The ultimate fall side dish, these mashed butternut squash and sweet potatoes are scented with orange zest and lightly sweetened with maple syrup. Ideal for entertaining, these can be prepped up to 3 days in advance!

Mashed butternut squash and sweet potatoes with a square of butter in the center on a white plate.

If mini marshmallows on your sweet potatoes isn’t your thing, then you’ve come to the right place. It shouldn’t come as any surprise that sweets aren’t usually my thing. But my Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes are still sweet, rich, and creamy, just without adding a bunch of processed sugars.

My family has been eating this dish for years at Thanksgiving, alongside some other family favorites like my chicken and mushroom casserole, slow cooker cranberry sauce and roasted garlic hummus mashed potatoes. I even save leftovers to use as a topping on my healthier shepherd’s pie! We actually replaced the traditional sweet potato casserole with this mixed mash-up at my husband’s request. Considering he loves butter as much as the next guy, I’m going to take that as a good sign that you could very easily incorporate this dish into your family’s holiday table, too!

Why You’ll Love these Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

  • It can be made in 30 minutes or less, leaving you more time to work on other sides like the brussels sprouts with bacon.
  • It doesn’t take up any oven space, so you can have two things cooking at once!
  • It stores well, both in the fridge and the freezer, so it can be made days in advance.
  • It tastes absolutely delicious, and captures all the best parts about fall!

Ingredients

Ingredients for mashed butternut squash and sweet potatoes against a white background, labeled.
  • Butternut squash: Nutty and sweet, and full of vitamins and nutrients.
  • Sweet potatoes: Naturally sweet and a bit earthy in taste.
  • Butter: Contributes to the creaminess of the final product.
  • Maple syrup: Adds a rich sweetness to the dish.
  • Milk: I usually use skim milk, but you can use any non-dairy milk as well to make this dish vegan.
  • Spices: The sweet and warm fall flavors come together with a blend of cinnamon, pepper, kosher salt, and fresh orange zest.

Easy Subtitutions

  • Instead of maple syrup, you can also use honey as a natural sweetener.
  • You could use yams instead of the sweet potato, it just will be slightly less sweet and more starchy.
  • You could also try swapping any other type of winter squash for the butternut squash, or make it just mashed sweet potatoes.

How to Make Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

Liz cutting a peeled butternut squash into halves.

Step 1. Peel, deseed, and cut your butternut squash into roughly 1-inch cubes.

Liz cutting peeled sweet potatoes into cubes.

Step 2. Peel and cut your sweet potatoes to match the size of the butternut squash cubes.

Adding spices to a glass bowl with sweet potato and butternut squash.

Step 3. Boil the squash and potatoes in a large pot of water until soft, then strain. Add to a large bowl, then add the spices.

Using a potato masher to mash the cooked butternut squash and sweet potatoes in a glass bowl.

Step 4. Add the butter, maple syrup, and warm milk before mashing with a potato masher. You could also use the paddle attachment in a stand mixer.

Spoonful of mashed butternut squash and sweet potatoes over a shallow bowl.

Once desired texture is reached, check for seasoning and then serve your Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do sweet potatoes take longer to cook?

No, but the size of the potato and the cooking method will still make the total cook time vary. The smaller they are cut, the faster they will cook.

What flavors go with squash?

The sweet and rich flavors of most squash make it pair well with both sweet and savory flavors, often at the same time! I love doing a bit of sweet and spicy, like my honey chipotle butternut squash.

How do I make mashed potatoes less watery?

If your mashed potatoes are a little too thin for your liking, you can add a thickening agent. Adding just a little at a time, you can try adding cornstarch or powdered milk. To avoid getting to that point in the first place, make sure you drain your cooked potatoes well before mashing, and add the milk slowly until the desired consistency is reached.
Mashed butternut squash and sweet potatoes spread across a plate with a square of butter in the center.

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A great side dish for any holiday table, or a sweet and savory choice for any meal, the whole family will love my Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes.

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Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes

4.66 stars average
Liz Della Croce
The ultimate fall side dish, these mashed butternut squash and sweet potatoes are scented with orange zest and lightly sweetened with maple syrup. Ideal for entertaining, these can be prepped up to 3 days in advance!
PREP: 15 minutes
COOK: 20 minutes
TOTAL: 35 minutes
Pin
Servings6

Ingredients
 

  • 1 small butternut squash (peeled, seeded and cut large chunks)
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cut small chunks)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted)
  • 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
  • cup milk (warmed in microwave)
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest

Instructions
 

  • Place peeled butternut squash and sweet potato chunks in a large pot and cover with water.
    1 small butternut squash, 3 medium sweet potatoes
  • Bring to a boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. (It is important to test with a fork because knives are too sharp to be an accurate test of doneness.) Strain squash and potatoes and return to warm pot.
  • Add butter, honey, warm milk, cinnamon, salt, pepper and orange zest. Using a potato smasher to combine ingredients until butter is melted and mixture is smooth. For a whipped texture, use an electric mixer and beat on medium for 2 minutes.
    2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup, 1/3 cup milk, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 teaspoons orange zest

Last Step:

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Liz’s Notes

This dish makes a fabulous Shepherd’s Pie topping as well! It’s also very freezer friendly.
For an extra depth of flavor, try roasting the squash and potatoes instead of boiling them!

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 204kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 491mg | Potassium: 852mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 29453IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 119mg | Iron: 2mg


4.66 from 20 votes (20 ratings without comment)

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2 responses to “Mashed Butternut Squash and Sweet Potatoes”

  1. Eve Hunt Avatar
    Eve Hunt

    I have been making Spaghetti squash but after reading this, it seems my way is outdated. I have to try it your way and see what I’ll get.

    1. Liz DellaCroce Avatar
      Liz DellaCroce

      I hope you like it!