Name: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Banana and Brown Sugar
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 8 sweet potatoes or large yams, each about 10 ounces; About 3 tablespoons kosher salt, plus additional as needed; 1 banana, with a 2-inch slit cut into the peel; 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter; 2 cups heavy cream; 1 cinnamon stick; 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar; 1 teaspoon finely ground fresh black pepper, plus additional as needed

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Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Banana and Brown SugarDavid Loftus

I know what you're thinking. Bananas? Trust me. It's a little trick I picked up from my nights in the kitchen at the famous Le Cirque, in Manhattan. I don't always reveal my secret ingredient, and most people can't put their fingers on what exactly makes this sweet potato recipe so good. But every one loves them. Of course, some heavy cream, butter, and brown sugar doesn't hurt.