smoked gouda sweet potatoes

I tried a different spin on sweet potatoes this Thanksgiving. Instead of the pecan/marshmallow/gooey sweet goodness on top.. I made sweet potatoes with rich smoked gouda and lingering cayenne pepper flavors. Quite tasty, if I do say so myself. 

What you need:
4 T butter
3 T heavy whipping cream, divided
1/2 t coarse salt
1 t sugar
1/8 t cayenne pepper (or more if you like more kick)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices (cut as thin as you can!)
1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded smoked Gouda cheese
6 strips bacon, cooked crisp and crumbled
2 green onions, chopped

What to do:
Heat the butter, 2 T of the cream, the salt, sugar, cayenne and sweet potatoes in a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Once the butter has melted, stir to coat the potatoes. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the potatoes are very tender, about 30 to 40 minutes (I had to cook mine longer than the recipe says and I added a little skim milk in the last few minutes of cooking.), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and add the cheese and remaining tablespoon of cream; cover for 1 to 2 minutes until the cheese melts. Mix thoroughly to mash the potatoes. Top with crumbled bacon and onions just before serving.