Costco just brought back one of its best Thanksgiving side dishes—and it’ll make your life much easier as you dedicate your limited cooking time to perfecting the turkey and gravy.
Mashed sweet potatoes are back in Costco’s premade section and they taste just as good as homemade. Even better, for the weaker cooks among us. Bright, fresh, and just sweet enough, there’s a reason Costco’s mashed sweet potatoes make an annual appearance.
Pre-peeled, pre-cooked, pre-mashed with whole milk and seasonings, and pre-dressed with pats of butter and crumbles of brown sugar, these sweet potatoes just need a quick reheating in the oven before serving. Just pop them in an oven-safe serving dish, and they’re good to go. No need to disclose where they came from if you want to take all the credit for everyone’s favorite Thanksgiving side.
Of course, like anything tasty and affordable in 2023, the dish has viral potential. Instagram account @CostcoHotFinds shared a video of the sweet potatoes to 2 million followers, deeming the find “fantastic!!!” particularly as a shortcut for a big meal.
Costco enthusiasts, of course, have a few serving tips to dress up this orange dish. Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg or pumpkin spice seasoning on top. Dress them up with candied nuts. You can even broil marshmallows on top to create a classic holiday casserole, minimal effort required.
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Even better, at an average price of $2.49 per pound, these pre-made sweet potatoes can be cheaper than whole sweet potatoes alone, and your time savings may be hours with a big batch of these. A six pound container costs just over $12.
While you’re at Costco, stock up on their peppermint bark, which also just dropped for the holiday season. There’s a reason this seasonal confection is so beloved, to enjoy at home and gift to loved ones. It’s also a popular addition to warm coffee, as stirring in a chunk of peppermint bark sweetens the hot drink and adds a touch of mint plus chocolate flavor.
Those without a Costco membership can also source the fan-favorite mashed sweet potatoes, and more Costco groceries and holiday items via Instacart.
No intel on when the mashed sweet potatoes will disappear until (hopefully) next November, but if you want to stock up, they can be frozen in an airtight container and enjoyed for about three months before the texture starts to deteriorate. Keep them in an oven-safe container and they can go straight from the freezer to the oven (or toaster oven) when you need some deep winter comfort.
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner
Melissa is a writer and recipe developer based in Brooklyn, where she lives with her wife and rescue dog. Read more about Melissa
