One of our biggest tips for sticking with your health goals through the holidays is to bring your own side dishes. When you bring your own dishes, you know exactly what you put in it, how much of all ingredients (like cream and butter), and you can trust that there will be something that you will like. Opting to bring your own ensures that there will be at least one healthy alternative for you to rely on. This is just one of the many healthy options that you can offer to take over to Grandma’s!
Our perfect side dish this year: Creamy Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes. It’s the perfect comboniation because the butternut squash adds an amazing flavor and a healthy twist on a classic recipe.
Butternut squash is the perfect touch in those cooler, fall months. It is usually a beige colored gourd with a similar taste to sweet potato. This will give the potatoes nice smooth and creamy texture with some sweet added flavor. Butternut squash is also full of important nutrients that fall in the carotenoid family. Carotenoids are red/orange veggies that are a fantastic source of magnesium, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and other antioxidants to keep you healthy throughout that flu season!
To whip these dreamy potatoes up, start by boiling the potatoes with the skins on in a pot of water for 25-30 minutes, or until they are tender. Pro tip: leaving skin on the potato boosts the fiber content, which is a total plus! In another pot, boil the butternut squash for 15 minutes, or until tender. Next, in a bowl, combine the potatoes, butternut squash, cream cheese, and garlic powder, and salt to taste. Using a pestle or fork, mash all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy. Next, we’ll get to the leek topping. Heat up the olive oil, and add the leeks and soy sauce. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Add the leek topping to the mashed potatoes, and finish off with ground black pepper.
When dishing up your holiday plate, fill half of your plate with those savory green beans and a delicious leafy salad, a healthy (2-3 oz.) portion of protein, and a hearty scoop of these Creamy Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes to finish it off. Thinking about Thanksgiving this way allows you to enjoy all your favorite dishes without skipping on those wonderful veggies! And, of course, don’t forget to enjoy a nice sliver of pumpkin pie at the end of the night!
So now we want to hear from you. What do you think about our tasty little addition of butternut squash to your traditional mashed potatoes? Let us know what you think in the comments below!
- 4 medium potatoes, quartered
- 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- 2 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup leeks, sliced
- 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce
- Start by boiling the potatoes in a pot of water for 25-30 minutes, or until tender. Leave the skins on
- In another pot, boil the butternut squash for 15 minutes, or until tender
- Drain the water from both pots
- In a bowl, combine the potatoes, butternut squash, cream cheese, and garlic powder. Salt to taste
- Using a pestle or fork, mash all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy
- Next, we'll get to the leek topping. Heat up the olive oil, and add the leeks and soy sauce. Sauté for 3-4 minutes
- Add the leek topping to the mashed potatoes, and finish off with ground black pepper. Enjoy!
Chef Sous Chef
November 24, 2016 at 4:39 pm (3 years ago)I love the idea of adding squash to potatoes. Must give it an awesome sweetness. Can’t wait to whip up a batch. Thanks for sharing!
Wendy
November 25, 2016 at 5:04 pm (3 years ago)It totally does! You’re so welcome. Let us know how it comes out 🙂
Jonathan
December 16, 2016 at 10:34 pm (3 years ago)Thanks for the idea! Will definitely try to make this one!
Gustavo Woltmann
January 8, 2017 at 4:35 pm (3 years ago)I must give this recipe a try. Thanks for the idea.
– gustavo woltmann
Asta
February 13, 2019 at 5:27 pm (5 months ago)Sounds delicious! Is there anything one could substitute the cream cheese with to make this recipe fully vegan?
Wendy
February 13, 2019 at 9:27 pm (5 months ago)There is vegan cream cheese you can use or you can omit! It’ll work either way