One medium size white potato with typical toppings has 316 calories, plus 8.25 grams of saturated fat. That's nearly half of the suggested daily count for saturated fat -- and it's not the only thing on the plate, let alone the only meal of the day.
A good alternative is the sweet potato. It is especially a good choice as a holiday go-along, because a typical sweet potato has less than half of the calories and only 2.4 grams of total fat. Here's the recipe for mashed sweet potato casserole.
Ingredients: 4 pounds sweet potatoes (about 6 large), 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted melted butter, 1/4 cup light brown sugar, 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F; Scrub the potatoes, prick them several times with a knife or fork, and bake them for 1 hour or until very soft when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven, and scoop out the insides as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth and transfer to a baking dish. Bake the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.
Add a layer of mini marshmallows, put under the broiler for a few minutes until melted and golden brown. Delicious.
Optionally, shake on cayenne pepper, add 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup pecan pieces and stir before topping with the marshmallows and broiling.
This recipe is meatless, has low cholesterol and sticking to the amount of recommended butter, it is low in fat. With 120 calories per serving, it is a healthy potato side dish alternative to the stuffed white potato. Leftovers freeze well, too. (Doesn't include the optionally add-ons)