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Sweet potatoes are a nice accompaniment to dinner. They don’t cost much and they keep well so we often keep them around. Sometimes we forget to use them until they start to look bad. If that sounds like your home, this article is for you—five ways to use your sweet potatoes while they are still in the prime.
Fully-Loaded Sweet Potato
There are lots of ways to load a sweet potato or yam. Here’s one. It’s quick and easy and rivals the sweet potato casseroles found at Thanksgiving.
Scrub and trim, if necessary, a yam or sweet potato. Wrap it in plastic wrap and cook it in the microwave for four or five minutes or until soft. Carefully unwrap the sweet potato to avoid burning yourself.
Split the sweet potato partially open by cutting half-way through the sweet potato longitudinally. Squeeze it slightly from both ends to pop it partially open.
Place a couple of pats of butter in the sweet potato. Over that, sprinkle a little brown sugar and finely chopped pecans.
Scoop drained, crushed pineapple over the nuts. Place a dollop of whipped cream over the pineapple and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve hot.
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Sweet Potato Pie with Pecan Streusel (in a Gingersnap Crust)
This is an outstanding pie. While it certainly works for holiday dinners as an alternative to pumpkin pies, this should not be relegated to holidays. We think this will be one of your favorite pies, something to turn to whenever fresh fruit is not in season.
Sweet Potato Hash Browns with Parmesan Sauce
Man does not live by bread alone; a few veggies are nice.
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We discovered that you can make quick and easy hash browns with grated sweet potatoes or yams. They are neutral in flavor and can be paired with various sauces or spices. They work for breakfast or brunch or as a side dish with dinner. And they cook in almost no time.
In this case we paired Sweet Potato Hash Browns with fried eggs and Parmesan Sauce. The Sweet Potato Hash Browns are different and mild-tasting. The Parmesan Sauce accents the dish.
Because the sweet potatoes are grated, this dish cooks up very quickly. It’s easy and good for you.
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See the Sweet Potato Hash Brown recipe here.
Caribbean Sweet Potato Salad
There are many versions of sweet potato salad existing in cyberspace. Some are made with a combination of white potatoes and sweet potatoes and some with sweet potatoes only.
We like ours the best. It’s made with sweet potatoes, corn, and red onion. The surprise ingredient is peanuts. The dressing is made with lime juice, ginger, and a clove of garlic.
This is an adventuresome salad but if made with enough spark from the dressing, it is very good . . . and good for you.
Get the recipe for this delicious salad here.
Sweet Potato Biscuits
The sweet potato in this recipe lends color, moisture, and just a bit of earthy taste to these biscuits. You can cook the sweet potato or yam ahead in the microwave so preparation is minimal.
The sweet potato in this recipe lends color, moisture, and just a bit of earthy taste to these biscuits. You can cook the sweet potato or yam ahead in the microwave so preparation is minimal.
Here is how to make your sweet potato biscuits.
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups pastry flour
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 cup mashed sweet potatoes or yams
1 egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
flour for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a large bowl. Set aside.
In a blender, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, egg, and milk together until they are a smooth, consistent liquid.
Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients all at once. Stir with a spatula or fork only until mixed. Do not over-mix.
Turn the dough out onto a floured counter and pat the dough with a floured hand into a 3/4-inch thick slab. Use a biscuit cutter to cut rounds. With a thin spatula, move the rounds to greased baking sheet.
Bake for ten to twelve minutes or until they start to brown. Serve hot.
About the Author
Dennis Weaver has burned food from Point Barrow, Alaska, to Miami, Florida. He is the founder of The Prepared Pantry in Rigby, Idaho. He loves to help people bake and shares his vast collection of cooking and baking knowledge on his blog as well as in his e-books and magazines. Dennis lives in Rigby, Idaho, with his wife, Merri Ann. They have five wonderful children and six beautiful granddaughters.