20 Tempting Ways to Cook a Sweet Potato
Sweet or savory, mashed or fried, here are our best sweet potato recipes
Sweet potatoes have the rare ability to walk the line between sweet and savory dishes. (Surprise: They're not just for Thanksgiving.) Their chameleon-like abilities make practical sense: There are 16 different types, each with its own level of sweetness, degree of starchiness, and unique personality. There's no limit on how to use sweet potatoes, whether you want to enliven an otherwise bitter winter salad or add color and flavor to fresh pasta dough or homemade pie. They work great as a carrot or white potato alternative in braises and stews to sop up the flavor of the broth while lending the dish a hearty boost in texture. Or even as a savory sweet potato casserole (with a touch of marshmallow, of course) or a sweet potato souffle.
But sometimes, the best way to cook a sweet potato is on its own, from the perfect baked sweet potato recipe (roast them whole or in cubes) to crispy sweet potato fries. You can top the slow-roasted tubers with creamy labneh, sour cream, or butter, or mash them with a touch of cream or coconut milk to your heart’s content.
Try them in these diverse preparations until you find your favorites.
Fried Chicken and Sweet Potato Salad
Sweet Potato Pancakes
Peruvian Street Cart Ceviche with Sweet Potato and Toasted Corn
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble
This sweet potato casserole is an especially festive, over-the-top take on the Thanksgiving classic, topped with a crisp pecan crumble and dotted with marshmallows. Get the recipe for Sweet Potato Casserole with Pecan Crumble »
Fermented Squash and Sesame Dip
Fermented Squash and Sesame Dip
“This is a nod to tahini dip, done in a way where you also get sweet and sour flavors from fresh and fermented vegetables,” Burns says. “The sesame helps emulsify, and lemon juice, garlic, and spices lend a little acid and heat.” If you have another fermented vegetable on hand, you can substitute all fresh squash and use the lacto-brine from that vegetable in place of or in addition to the lemon juice. Get the recipe for Fermented Squash and Sesame Dip »
Roasted Garlic and Sweet Potato Crostini
Roasted Garlic and Sweet Potato Crostini
Sweet and savory, crunchy and creamy come together on little toasts, which pair cubes of sweet potato with a flavorful spread featuring lemon zest, capers and sour cream. Get the recipe for Roasted Garlic and Sweet Potato Crostini »
Sweet Potato Collard Green Salad
Sweet Potatoes with Miso Butter and Chives
Charred Sweet Potatoes with Pickled Shallots, Pistachios, and Ricotta Salata
Charred Sweet Potatoes with Pickled Shallots, Pistachios, and Ricotta Salata
Like a lot of chefs, Jared Bennett of Metropole in Cincinnati is into charring vegetables to amplify their natural sweetness inside, and lend them a pleasantly bitter crust. The secret, he says, is precooking many of the vegetables and then just searing them in a smoking-hot cast-iron pan, so they don’t go to mush before getting a char. One of his signatures: this sweet potato side dish with pomegranate, lemon juice, pistachio, and ricotta salata. Get the recipe for Charred Sweet Potatoes with Pickled Shallots, Pistachios, and Ricotta Salata »
Mashed Yams with Lime and Honey
Mashed Yams with Lime and Honey
Creamy baked yams are mashed with butter, lime juice, and honey in this easy autumn dish developed by chef Mary Sue Milliken.
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sage and Browned Butter
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sage and Browned Butter
For a more flavorful, less sickly-sweet Thanksgiving side, skip the marshmallows and give simply roasted sweet potatoes a dose of nutty browned butter. Get the recipe for Roasted Sweet Potato With Sage and Brown Butter »
Slow-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Garlic Labneh
Lentil Stew with Coconut (Dalma)
Lentil Stew with Coconut (Dalma)
In the east Indian state of Odisha, this lentil stew, fragrant with coconut and enriched with silky, thinly sliced onions and long-simmered sweet potatoes, is an everyday staple.
Roasted Sweet Potato Sandwich with Rajas Salsa
Roasted Sweet Potato Sandwich with Rajas Salsa
Meaty sweet potatoes serve as the base for this vegetarian sandwich. Get the recipe for Roasted Sweet Potato Sandwich with Rajas Salsa »
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
These vibrant, mildly sweet gnocchi were developed by stylist Judy Haubert as a gluten-free option to accompany Portland chef Jenn Louis’ rich Gorgonzola cream sauce. Get the recipe for Gluten-Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce »
Sweet Potato Pudding with Chanterelles
Sweet Potato Pudding with Chanterelles
Inspired by his grandmother’s corn pudding, chef James Wayman of Mystic, Connecticut’s Oyster Club makes this autumnal side dish with Beauregard sweet potatoes, bacon fat, and plenty of cream. Get the recipe for Sweet Potato Pudding with Chanterelles
Spicy Sweet Potato Cakes
Sweet Potato Honey Fries with Curry-Honey Sauce
Sweet Potato Honey Fries with Curry-Honey Sauce
An aromatic combination of spices elevate the humble sweet potato oven fry to something truly special. Get the recipe for Sweet Potato Honey Fries with Curry-Honey Sauce »
Sweet Potato Pie
Brigtsen’s Scallops with Sweet Potato Puree and Onion Marmalade
Brigtsen's Scallops with Sweet Potato Puree and Onion Marmalade
Sweet potato puree and onion marmalade enhance the natural sweetness of scallops in this dish. Get the recipe for Brigtsen’s Scallops with Sweet Potato Puree and Onion Marmalade »
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