Foodie Fridays: Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

From Food Network

I am still trying to finish off a can of chipotle in adobo sauce I first opened many weeks ago!  The problem is that I am not very tolerant of overly spicy foods, so I can only use one chipotle pepper at a time in a recipe.  Luckily, I found this very easy and very tasty recipe for Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes from Alton Brown that will make it much easier to use up those peppers.  I am not a fan of adding more sweeteners to already sugary sweet potatoes, so I usually only add some butter and salt to them anyway, plus some milk if I am mashing them.  The chipotle simply adds another layer of flavor which is spicy but just subtle enough for me to enjoy.  This dish will make a repeat appearance in my kitchen, probably more than once so I that can use up those darn peppers!

Chipotle Smashed Sweet Potatoes

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed*
2-4 T. butter
2-4 T. milk
1/2 tsp. salt
1 chipotle in adobo sauce, chopped, plus 1 tsp. sauce

Steam the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes until fork-tender. Smash the cooked potatoes with the butter, then the milk, until the desired consistency is reached.  Stir in the salt and chipotle.  Serve immediately.  Serves 4.

*Our local Publix has a new produce item, bagged microwaveable sweet potatoes, which I used instead -- much quicker and easier, although I did feel the need to peel them, which means waiting until the cooked potatoes are cool enough to handle.