Healthy Holiday Series – Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

Sweet Potatoes Two Ways

I think I could eat a sweet potato every day. It wasn’t until recently (aka yesterday) that I actually did some research on why sweet potatoes were so much better for you than a regular potato. Turns out, they are full of all kinds of vitamins (always good) and even some fiber (never a bad thing). I also love how many different ways you can cook sweet potatoes – roasted, mashed, baked into fries, during breakfast underneath eggs, as a meat substitute in your tacos, etc! My favorite way to eat sweet potatoes is mashed and the way my mom roasts them for Thanksgiving. I base my mashed potato recipe off of this one and according to Judy, her roasted sweet potato recipe is from Martha Stewart. Both of these recipes can be easily cooked for one or fifteen people, making them perfect recipes for a big holiday dinner or a quiet night in!

Ingredients

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

• 1 Sweet Potato, peeled and cubed
• 1 Tbsp Butter
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 Tbsp Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 cup Milk

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 1 Sweet Potato, sliced 1/2 inch thick
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 clove Garlic
• 1 tsp Italian Seasoning (forgotten in the picture, oops!)
• 1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

First, I peeled and sliced the first sweet potato, making sure I sliced them relativity the same size so they cooked evenly.

Then, I mixed the olive oil, garlic, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes together – it should be a semi-thick paste. It will be poured into a plastic bag to coat the sweet potatoes!

Once the sweet potatoes were coated, I let them sit in the bag while I prepped the next sweet potato.

Ok. Next, I peeled and cubed the second sweet potato to boil for the mashed version!

Once the sweet potatoes were soft (easily pierced with a fork) I drained the water and added the butter and garlic to the warm pot and sauteed it for a few minutes, until the kitchen smelled like garlic.

Then, I added the sweet potatoes back to the pot with the greek yogurt and almond milk.

Next, it was time for mashing! The great thing about only using one sweet potato, is that it’s easy to use a hand masher. If you were making a larger quantity, I think a stand mixer or immersion blender would be easier.

Once the mashed sweet potatoes were done, I put the sliced and marinated sweet potatoes on a baking sheet to go into the oven!

I roasted them in the a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes, then flipped each potato slice over and finished roasting them for another 5-10 minutes.

The sweet potatoes start to caramelize on the bottom, so they have to be flipped so they don’t burn one one side! That caramelization is also what makes them extra delicious.

Once the sweet potatoes are soft, they are ready! They will be hot so be careful when you take them out of the oven.

Mashed sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things to eat for dinner when it’s cold out – I usually skip having quinoa or rice and pile my protein and vegetables right on top of the sweet potato as if it’s a grain.

What is your favorite way to eat sweet potatoes? Let me know in the comments below!

Happy Cooking!

Libby