Tyler Florence's Whipped Sweet Potatoes Hit The Perfect Sweet-And-Savory Balance

Forget the pumpkins and apple cider, one of the best autumnal treats has got to be sweet potatoes. With their peak season running from late August to November, early fall is the perfect time to start roasting, baking, or frying up some yams. Everyone has their favorite way to prepare them, but if you're more of a fan of the mashed variety, Tyler Florence has the perfect recipe for you.

The celebrity chef shared his recipe for whipped sweet potatoes with Food Network, and it strikes the ultimate balance between sweet and savory. His trick is to counteract the typical seasonings used on sweet potatoes, like brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg, with bay leaves.

In a video posted with the recipe, he says, "The bay leaf gives it sort of a slight savory flavor. It's gonna be really nice." Florence adds the flavor of the bay leaves by infusing them in warm cream, which he adds to soft baked sweet potatoes before pureeing them. He discards the leaves once the cream is ready, and then adds some other aromatics to complement the flavors further.

You can infuse the bay leaves in coconut cream if you want to make a vegan-friendly version of the dish, or add them to the cooking water if you decide to boil the potatoes. If you don't have bay leaves, a few sprigs of thyme should work.

If you want to follow Florence's instructions further, add some orange zest and brown sugar to the sweet potatoes, too. "I love orange in this dish. A lot of people say that the flavor is in the juice. I completely disagree. I think the flavor is in the essential oils in the skin," he says.

Some butter is always essential, and you want to make sure to puree the sweet potatoes until they're completely smooth. Pair with baby back ribs, roasted pork tenderloin, or stick them right on the Thanksgiving table. That sticky, marshmallow-loaded sweet potato casserole will be put to shame.