Tipsy Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Tipsy Sweet Potatoes

Serves 8

Perfect for Thanksgiving dinner (or anytime, really), this dish can be garnished with mini marshmallows for a traditional look.

8 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks
2 ½ cups brown honey ale
Water, to cover potatoes
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 cup mini marshmallows (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Boil the sweet potatoes in 2 cups beer and enough water to cover them, until they are tender, about 25 minutes.
2. Drain sweet potatoes and add the rest of the ingredients, including remaining ½ cup beer. Whip with an electric mixer until creamy
3. Butter a large casserole dish and place the potatoes in it. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until top is browned. If using marshmallows, add them to the top of the sweet potatoes in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve warm.

I made this yesterday for our branch's Halloween potluck. They turned out pretty well and were a favourite—a few colleagues even asked me for the recipe!

It’s kind of a sad reminder of how H made me a better person. She tried to encourage me to not settle for the easy route and make efforts to challenge myself. For past potlucks, I would have settled on bringing cookies, drinks or just warmed up something pre-made. With H, she pushed me—even if I resisted—to make Reese’s Pieces brownies, strawberry salads and other homemade dishes. They usually turned out pretty well and friends would be impressed that I could make something from scratch!