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9 Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Recipes That Will Easily Overshadow the Turkey

The queen bee of Thanksgiving is the turkey (obviously). But second in line for the throne of deliciousness? The fixings. And sweet potatoes are an incredibly important fixing! So what if they most likely weren’t served at the first Thanksgiving? Sweet potatoes are here now, and we should be grateful for them. So let’s show our gratitude by mashing them with butter and cream. And then let’s show even more gratitude by topping them with wildly irresponsible things like crumbled bacon and brown butter and fried sage. Because it’s Thanksgiving. And because we can.

Let’s bake them in donuts and then cover the donuts in a pecan pie crumble. Let’s whip them into a soufflé and pretend that they’re oh my god so light so that we can eat twice as many of them. Let’s twice-bake them and top them in toasted marshmallows and put them on our dinner plate when where they really belong is our dessert plate. Let’s blend them in ice cream and toss them with quinoa and bake them in cornbread. Let’s freaking do this. Guys, let’s sweet potato. And, while we’re at it (because this is important), let’s not forget the third on the list of Thanksgiving importance, which is, of course, sweatpants.

Image: Fotolia

by Emily Mack

Sweet Potato Soufflé with Rosemary

Thanksgiving foods are inevitably heavy, so why not lighten up the sweet potatoes this year with this whipped-up rosemary-studded soufflé from With Style & Grace? Maybe you’ll find room for an extra piece of pie.

Image: With Style & Grace

Sweet Potato Cornbread

A good bread to mop up all the gravy is an absolute must on Thanksgiving. Now you can make it even more Thanksgiving-appropriate with this gluten-free sweet potato cornbread from Gluten-Free on a Shoestring. Genius.

Image: Gluten-Free on a Shoestring

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie Donuts

Let’s be honest with ourselves. Donuts are not quite as breakfasty as we pretend they are. Most especially when they’re adorned in a roasted pecan crunch topping, like these swoon-worthy creations from How Sweet It Is. What am I trying to say? I’m trying to say that one (okay, two) of these donuts will look very nice on your dessert plate this Thanksgiving. Your apple pie will be in very good company.

Image: How Sweet It Is

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Toasted Marshmallows

There is something sneaky and wonderful about a sweet potato topped in toasted marshmallows masquerading as a savory side dish. Tis the season, right? Right. Try this twice-baked version from Food & Wine as an alternative to your sweet potato casserole this year.

Image: Fotolia

Fotolia

Sweet Potato and Quinoa Salad

Thanksgiving offers some surprising opportunities for showcasing your quinoa addiction. Naturally Ella tosses hers with tender bites of sweet potato, fresh basil, and salty crumbles of feta cheese for an effect that’s sure to impress everybody. Seconds? Thirds? Yes, please.

Image: Naturally Ella

Sweet Potato and Sage Butter Casserole

This casserole from Table for Two blends mashed sweet potatoes with mashed Yukon golds, then tops it all with panko, butter, and fresh sage for a dish that is so Thanksgiving. You’ll eat so much of this you’ll need to get those sweatpants out early. And it will be awesome.

Image: Table for Two

Roasted Sweet Potato Risotto

Risotto is the kind of tricky-to-make dish that proves to your diners that they're worth the effort. Want to prove that you really care? Mix it with sweet potato and then top it with bacon, cheese, and brown butter, a la this glorious rendition from How Sweet It Is.

Image: How Sweet It Is

Rosemary Parmesan Sweet Potato

This easy recipe from Cookie + Kate comes with this simple plea: "You must try this." You heard the girl. Baked sweet potatoes are stuffed with melty butter, grated Parmesan, and fresh rosemary. A new favorite.

Image: Cookie + Kate

Sweet Potato Ice Cream

Since you’ll need some ice cream to top off all that pie, consider cooking up a pint of this sweet potato ice cream from Healthy Food For Living. With maple, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a full two pounds of sweet potatoes, this icy treat will pair well with just about any pie that is worth eating.

Image: veganbaking.net

More Thanksgiving ideas from Bustle:

The 11 Best Turkey Recipes We’ve Seen

9 Thanksgiving Recipes Involving Bacon

11 Insane Pumpkin Desserts

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