Cooking & Baking
Related: About this forumSweet potatoes.
I have tended to use them baked as a dessert item.
How many here use them as an ingredient in main dishes (soups, stews, ect)? Share recipes if you want, I am looking for ideas.
They are a nutritional powerhouse. I did not know that there are something like 1700 varieties, the ones that I mostly saw harvested were Carolina Reds (common in Florida during my youth).
My mom always used them as a desert item, so when I came back to them as an adult, that is the route that I took.

Kali
(56,035 posts)boiled, baked, fried, in soup/stews etc. I haven't tried them mashed or in potato salad. yet. probably my favorite is to make oven fries - either thin rounds or shoe strings, tossed with olive oil and Tony Chachere's Creole salt, roasted in a hot oven till sort of crispy (my old oven never did the best job)
Phoenix61
(17,861 posts)some cumin.
procon
(15,805 posts)Mashed with butter just like russet potatoes, goes especially well with pork and ham.
Mashed and mixed in with pancake batter, also yummy with butter and maple syrup.
Mashed and pureed for a delicious bisque, or with added veggies for a creamy soup of a chilly day.
Can't forget to mention sweet potato fries. Also use use thin slices for sweet potato chips in the air fryer.
Cut into matchstick pieces and used in stir fry mixes.
I make a Golden Harvest Stew that uses all kinds of yellow and orange colored veggies (with or without your choice of meats) and sweet potatoes are a good addition.
Baked with pineapple chunks.
You have to try sweet potato pie, and mix some puree into a batch of oatmeal cookies, too.
Lots of uses!
elleng
(137,853 posts)Arkansas Granny
(31,909 posts)I also like them oven roasted with other veggies. I preheat my cast iron skillet in the oven, toss the veggies with a little oil and seasonings and roast at 400F for 20 - 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Tanuki
(15,536 posts)irisblue
(34,599 posts)This recipe calls for coconut milk, I have also made it with plain yogurt, I eyeballed the liquid levels.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)I will likely substitute collard green for the spinach and cook a little longer.
irisblue
(34,599 posts)I'll use frozen spinach/green beans/ fresh quartered brussel sprouts/kale/red carrots/which ever bell peppers for visual presentation and to use up left over veggies. It 's a very 'forgiving' meal to make and tweak.
japple
(10,425 posts)I use a variation of this recipe, adding Vidalia onion and bell pepper. Instead of cayenne, I use a full tsp. of chili powder.
Spicy-Sweet Roasted Sweet Potatoes are coated in a spice mixture that is both sweet and spicy and then roasted in a hot oven until brown and crispy.
Course: Side Dish
Servings: 4
Ingredients
3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon packed light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl and drizzle with oil.
Add remaining ingredients and stir to coat sweet potatoes evenly.
Spread sweet potatoes out on a large baking sheet.
Bake 15 minutes. Stir and bake another 15 to 20 minutes.
tishaLA
(14,455 posts)Blue_true
(31,261 posts)in my diet. I will try chopping the peanuts in a blender instead of the mortal. I also think that I may try peanut butter from a healthfood store, which tends to be less sweet and allows me to drain off some oil to start.
csziggy
(34,189 posts)But I made this recipe for a family Christmas and it was pretty good:
Sweet Potato Cranberry Bake
10 servings
1 (12 ounce) package whole cranberries
1 small unpeeled orange, sliced
1 1/3 cups white sugar
1/2 cup pecan pieces
1/4 cup orange juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground mace
1 (40 ounce) can cut yams, drained (I used fresh raw sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks. I think it was about 2 pounds.)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Combine cranberries, orange slices, sugar, pecans, orange juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and mace in a 2-quart baking dish.
Bake in preheated oven until cranberries soften, about 30 minutes. Stir yams into cranberry mixture and continue baking until heated through, about 15 minutes more.
Since I was driving two hours to the family dinner, I started it in a crockpot just until the potatoes began softening, wrapped the container to insulate it, and heated it another 30-60 minutes. I also left out the pecans since some family members are allergic to nuts - it is better with the pecans.
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/230825/sweet-potato-cranberry-bake/
I used less sugar than this version calls for and it was still pretty sweet.
eppur_se_muova
(38,181 posts)MissMillie
(39,063 posts)Sausage hash, sweet potato, onion, green pepper, garlic.... crisped up in the pan and served w/ an egg on it.
I also serve them as the starch on my plate. Sometimes I just bake them, sometimes I "braise" them in some water with some butter and brown sugar. Lately I've been cooking them in a foil pouch w/ onions, butter, brown sugar, and a touch of cinnamon. (I even do this on the grill.)
MagickMuffin
(17,311 posts)I started adding them to my lentil soups. They really improve the soup.
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)I want to increase my use of homemade soup, having them around helps when time gets tight and I need to just warm up something instead of fullblown cook a meal.
MagickMuffin
(17,311 posts)You can add whatever you like in the lentil soup.
The other day I had a surplus of homemade pesto. I had some of it with angel hair pasta, and then I started thinking of other ways to use it. So, I sliced some sweet potatoes into rounds (man they are difficult to slice sometimes) baked until tender, then topped them off with the pesto. It turned out they paired well together.
Looks like you have a lot of interesting recipes to try. Good Luck!!!
Blue_true
(31,261 posts)But again, the ones focused on soups and stews were what interests me a lot, although the change dessert one that I tried was pretty dandy.