Rootitoot Sweet Potato Dream

Ingredients:

3 lb sweet potatoes or yams
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup water
big pieces of orange peel (optional)
1/4 cup butter
2 Tbsp heavy cream
2 Tbsp maple syrup or brown sugar
pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 cup bacon bits (optional)
1/3 cup chopped toasted pecans (optional)

Directions:

Peel sweet potatoes and cut in 1 1/2” cubes. Put orange juice, water, orange peel and sweet potatoes directly in the Instant Pot. No trivet or basket required.

Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Push Pressure Cook (or Manual) and adjust time using the + and - buttons to get to 8 minutes. When it beeps that it's done, flip the valve to Venting for a quick release and when the pin drops, press Cancel and open the pot.

Drain the pot and remove the orange peel. Put the cooked potatoes back into the pot. Add the butter, cream, maple syrup or brown sugar and nutmeg or cinnamon.  Add salt and pepper and mash well or use an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.

Fold in bacon and nuts if using, reserving a tablespoon of each for the top. Serve in a bowl with the reserved bacon and nuts on top or take this finishing step: spread into a buttered baking dish and sprinkle with the reserved bacon, pecans and a little sprinkle of brown sugar.  Bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes until lightly browned on top.