Bacon & Apple Mashed Sweet Potatoes

With the holidays fast approaching, I am always looking for some new, slightly different side dishes to add to our traditional spread.  Some people in my family might argue that we should just stick to the classics, but I think it's nice to mix things up a little and try something new. Who knows? One of these dishes may be so tasty and loved that it becomes a new family tradition!

This time around, I decided to work with the classic mashed or baked sweet potato. Nothing wrong with a good old sweet potato, but no harm in trying to jazz it up a little. So, I thought it would be interesting to add some saltiness, sweetness, and texture to our what might be a fairly simple mashed sweet potato. I did this by adding bacon (I mean, really, who doesn't like the addition of a little bacon?), some chopped apple, and some celery to the mix.

The result? A lovely, creamy mashed sweet potato with some great crunch from the apple and celery, and the amazing salty chewiness of the bacon. It was almost like my favorite apple and bacon stuffing met the sweet potato! And this new side dish got a great approval rating at the table, so I guess I will be making this one again!

Bacon & Apple Mashed Sweet Potatoes 

Serves 4

6 slices Bacon, chopped

1 1/2 cups Gala Apple, diced

1 cup Celery, chopped

2 Large Sweet Potatoes

1/2 cup Green Onion, sliced

1/2 cup Sour Cream

Salt and Pepper

Peel the sweet potatoes, cut into chunks, and boil for about 15-20 minutes until they can be pierced with a fork.

While the potatoes are cooking, in a pan over medium high heat, cook the bacon for about 5 minutes, then drain off the excess fat. Add the apples and celery to the bacon and cook until the apples and celery start to soften but still have some bite. Remove from heat.

Once the potatoes are cooked, drain them and mash them. Add the cooked bacon mixture, green onions and sour cream and stir in. Season to taste with salt and pepper.