Savory Parmesan Bacon Sweet Potatoes

When the Hubs and I were first married, we decided that we'd like to have Thanksgiving dinner together, at our house, and then go out visiting our families in the evening.  That dinner for two has evolved into a full on family affair and we now host both sides of the family every year.  That's just fine by me - I love to cook (um...you may have noticed) and I love throw a party!

Back when it was just the two of us, I tried out a few different sweet potato recipes.  Some sweet, some savory.  Although I l.o.v.e. my desserts, I don't love the traditional marshmallow-topped sweet potatoes.  So I tried and I tweaked over the years until I ended up with my absolute favorite turkey accompaniment.  These sweet potatoes are whipped with cream and infused with rosemary.  But the kicker is the bacon.  Because everyone knows...bacon makes everything better ;)

Yep, this is the best picture I could find - note to self: take pictures of the food this year ;)

Savory Parmesan Bacon Sweet Potatoes

6 medium sweet potatoes (3-4 pounds), washed
3/4 pound smoked bacon
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 shallots, minced
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary (plus a sprig or two for garnish)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated

1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2 - Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork
Note: I highly recommend baking them on a baking pan - otherwise, you'll have a sticky, gooey mess on your oven rack.  Let's just say I may have omitted the pan a time or two :)
3 - Remove sweet potatoes and let cool slightly
4 - Once cooled enough to handle, peel sweet potatoes and discard skin - place flesh in a large bowl and set aside
5 - Add 2 Tablespoons of butter to a pan over medium heat.  Add minced shallots and saute until soft (about 2 minutes or so)
6- Add rosemary to the pan and cook for an additional minute or so; remove from heat
7- Add remaining butter to the sweet potatoes and start whipping with an electric mixer
8- Add shallots and rosemary to the bowl, whip to combine
9 - Add cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the desired creamy texture is reached
10 - Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and fit with a wire rack
11 - Arrange bacon strips on the rack
12 - Bake bacon (on 400 degrees) until crisp - generally 12-15 minutes
13 - Once cooled, roughly chop
14 - Add (all but a tablespoon or so of) bacon to sweet potatoes and stir to incorporate
15 - Bake sweet potatoes on 400 degrees for 20 minutes
16 - Garnish with reserved bacon and a sprig of rosemary

Note: I usually go through steps 1-9 the day before and refrigerate the sweet potatoes until the next afternoon.  It makes for an easier Thanksgiving day (and more time to watch the parades!)

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