If this weekend’s cornbread dressing recipe was a tad on the complicated side, then here’s a sweet potato recipe that makes up for it in utter simplicity. Grated fresh ginger gives a zingy lift to basic baked sweet potatoes mashed with butter. Easy and delish!

Recipe: Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Ginger
Serves 6

4-5 large sweet potatoes (about 2 pounds total)
4-5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Kosher salt & freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Scrub the potatoes clean, dry and bake on the foil-lined sheet for at least an hour, until tender throughout when pierced with a skewer or knife. When cool enough to handle, cut in half and scoop out the flesh into a large saucepan. Mash with a potato masher. Set the pan over low heat and beat in the butter, one tablespoon at a time. Finish by adding the ginger, salt and pepper to taste.

Wine Pairing: Apart from no-holds-barred Thanksgiving feasts, these sweet potatoes can be the star of any meal — especially alongside roasted poultry (chicken, duck, turkey, quail) or pork. In either case, reach for an aromatic white wine like a Viognier or something from Alsace. Here’s a Viognier that I’ve particularly enjoyed lately:

Zaca Mesa 2009 Viognier Santa Ynez Valley ($20). Silky and clean, with lush honeysuckle aromas introducing ripe apricot, peach and light citrus flavors that linger though a full finish, picking up touches of spice and mineral along the way. Nicely balanced. Ready to drink now. Locate this wine online or in your area.