Baked Cut Sweet Potatoes
Baked Sweet Potato is quite possibly the most delicious and nutritious veggie ever! A delicately sweet taste and fluffy interior make these oven baked sweet potatoes the perfect side dish for your next meal!
You can leave the skin on or peel it, cut them into circles, long wedges like fries, or smaller cubes, and season them with either sweet or savory spices. Cutting the potatoes into small cubes or thin strips will yield potatoes that are crispier. Cutting them into thick strips or cubes will give you softer potatoes, and they’ll take longer to cook.
One way to make them is by just peeling some of the skin. The skin gets crispy and you get that great flavor of the skin, but without the chewiness of all of the skin. The skin has lots of great nutrients, and not having to peel the potatoes is a big time-saver. Just make sure that you wash and scrub them so they’re really clean.
Seasoning Variations:
- Classic sweet potato fries: Oil, kosher salt, pepper & garlic powder
- Spicy sweet potato fries: Oil, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder & paprika (or chili powder)
- Cinnamon-sugar sweet potato fries: Oil, kosher salt, cinnamon & sugar
- Rosemary sweet potato fries: Oil, kosher salt, pepper, garlic powder and rosemary
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste, 5 cloves garlic, pressed, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves for garnish
How To Make the Best Roasted Sweet Potatoes Any Way You Like Them
from https://www.thekitchn.com/
2 pounds sweet potatoes (3 medium or 2 large)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Savory variation (optional):
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
[Variation popular on Internet (optional) - from the New York Times:
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper]
Sweet variation (optional):
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons honey
Heat the oven to 400°F. Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 400°F. Meanwhile, cut the sweet potatoes.
Peel and cut the sweet potatoes. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1-inch cubes.
Toss the potatoes with oil. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the salt. If using, add the cumin and chili powder or cinnamon and toss to coat. Arrange the potatoes in a single layer.
Tip: To keep potatoes crispy, do not salt before placing in the oven. If you salt ahead here, the potatoes start to get weepy and release moisture, which is the enemy of crispy goodness. Also see Baking Tips below
Roast the potatoes. Roast for 15 minutes. Use a thin spatula flip the potatoes, and if using, add the honey and toss to coat. Roast until the potatoes are tender and browned all over, 15 to 20 minutes more.
Serves 4 - 6
Baking Tips
Every time you roast any type of veggie, you need to cut them roughly the same size. The reason why is because you want the veggie or root to bake evenly. If you cut the sweet potato in small and large pieces, the smaller pieces will cook faster than the large pieces and they will probably become soggy by the time the bigger pieces are ready.
Another important tip is to place the sweet potatoes pieces in a single layer on the baking sheet to avoid they become mushy.
Toss the cut sweet potato with olive oil, but make sure the pieces are coated on all sides because if not, the sides that are not coated will be very dry.
Roast at 400°F. Temperature is an important factor in getting roasted sweet potatoes just right. This temperature is hot enough to deliver the tender, creamy centers and the charred, caramelized surface you expect from sweet potatoes. Setting the dial at 400°F, rather than 425°F or 450°F, means a slightly longer cook time, which helps coax out even more of this spud’s natural sweetness.
