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Monday, November 1, 2021

Trader Joe's Mashed Sweet Potatoes


A very long time ago at a county fair in central Pennsylvania, I had some sweet potato fries from a random vendor. They served them dusted with cinnamon and powdered sugar, and then poured some maple syrup over them. They were absolutely dessertastic.

Although I've recreated the recipe at home a few times since then, I've come across quite a few other restaurants and eateries that serve sweet potato fries, and in every instance they bring them out with ketchup or tartar sauce or some other condiment that I consider an abomination to pair with sweet potato fries. I never got that.


That would be like making sweet potato casserole with mayo and relish or tomato sauce or something like that. Nobody ever does that...because it would be disgusting. You put sweet stuff like marshmallows on your sweet potato casserole. And with this convenient, Thanksgivingy Trader Joe's offering, I decided to add cinnamon, maple syrup, and a dab of whipped cream to emulate a mushy version of those delicious fries.

And it was awesome. Sonia thought so, too. The product on its own is fine, as well. There's only one ingredient: sweet potatoes. So you know what it's gonna taste like, right? The bag contains approximately 35 pellets of frozen sweet potato. I guess about 10 pellets equals one serving. So you throw the desired amount plus a little water into a sauce pan. They melt right down into a smooth mush in about 6 minutes. There's not a lot of lumpiness in the equation. The product has a very nice even consistency, and it seems to be as flavorful as any non-frozen mashed sweet potatoes I've ever had.

If you want to get fancy and make a marshmallow glaze with chopped pecans and whatever else, this would work. Or if you want to take the lazy man's route and just dump a few tablespoons of maple syrup in the mix, top with a couple teaspoons of cinnamon and a dab of whipped cream, I can verify that tastes great that way, too—very much worthy of Thanksgiving Day dessert status in my opinion.

$2.49 for three and a half servings—could stretch it to four if you're serving with a big Turkey Day meal or anything like that. Four stars from Sonia. Three and a half from me.

Bottom line: 7.5 out of 10.

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7 comments:

  1. halcyonNovember 1, 2021 at 12:13 PM

    Gotta disagree on this one. When I eat sweet potatoes, I either go savory (garlic powder and salt) or desserty (cinnamon, maple syrup, and a dash of salt-very important). But no marshmallows, ever. As for fries, if one requires a dip, I think it's got to be something mayo based. That's the closest thing I can think of to something that works.

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  2. AppleseitterNovember 2, 2021 at 4:21 PM

    Sweet accompaniment only for me. Nothing savory…turns my stomach thinking about utilizing sweet potatoes in the same way as potatoes.

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  3. JustineNovember 3, 2021 at 1:12 AM

    IMO, the only condiment that works with sweet potato fries is honey mustard dressing/dip. Equal parts honey and mustard works great, and even if a restaurant says they don't have "honey mustard" they certainly have honey and mustard and can whip some up =)

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  4. KarenNovember 25, 2021 at 11:25 PM

    Loved these just as is..maybe a little salt. Looking to eat healthier and this fits the bill.

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  5. JoFebruary 23, 2022 at 6:21 PM

    I love sweet OR savory, sometimes a little of each when it comes to sweet potatoes! I just made these with fresh chopped thyme and honey butter- drool worthy. I’m impressed with the quality.

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