Dude. Thanksgiving totally crept up on me this year. Maybe it’s the wacky weather, but I was completely oblivious to the fact that it’s less than a week away. Yikes!

Anyway, if you’re looking for something to go with the giant turkey, you can try cranberry-apple fluff, can-free cranberry sauce, coconut sweet potatoes, sweet potato-pecan cupcakes with marshmallow meringue or apple-cranberry pie. Or spice it up a bit with these sweet potatoes.

I know a lot of people like to hate on the traditional marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes, and then they don’t think they like the actual vegetable because they’ve never had them without a pound of marshmallows and brown sugar. If you are one of those people, I would urge you to try this — or something like it. There is definitely some sweetness there, but it’s quickly followed by a smoky, spicy kick.

Obviously you can control your own spice here. If you’re worried it will be too hot, try adding just a little bit of chipotle puree at first (maybe 1 tablespoon for 3 medium sweet potatoes), then mix it all up and taste it. You can always add more.

I didn’t feel like washing another bowl, so I put everything together in the baking/serving dish. If you want the final product to be really smooth, put everything in a bowl first and use an electric mixer. Then put it in a baking dish and stick it in the oven make sure it’s heated through. Super easy.

Chipotle sweet potatoes (Serves 4)
3 medium to large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1-2 tablespoons chipotle puree*
pinch of salt

*To make chipotle puree, pour a can of chipotle peppers (along with the adobo sauce they come in) into a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.

Wash and pat dry sweet potatoes. Poke a few holes in the top of the potatoes with a fork. Bake until soft (I baked mine at 400 F for an hour). OR Peel and cut the potatoes into pieces, then boil until you can easily stick a fork into the center of the largest piece. Drain.

Turn oven down to 350 F. While potatoes are still warm, (carefully) remove the insides from the skins and place in a bowl with the butter. Mash potatoes with a fork or electric mixer. Add more butter or a little milk if needed for consistency.

Add a tablespoon of chipotle puree, stir to combine and taste. Add more chipotle puree as desired.

Spoon mixture into a small baking dish and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until heated through.