Sweet Potatoes - Sweet or Spicy?

Mmmmmmm, sweet potatoes! They are super delicious and always a guaranteed winning side dish at my house. As a bonus, there’s a multitude of ways to prepare them - baking, roasting, steaming – dress them up, eat them plain, or make them into fries.

Apparently though, not everyone is as convinced as I am that these orange spuds are worth the love … my husband was one of those. My mission – make a sweet tater lover out of him, and, lo and behold, I have with these two super fantastic recipes! If you aren't convinced about sweet potatoes or you need a great recipe for your next potluck, you’ve got to try these. They are scrumptious.

In the comments below, please let me know which is your favorite and if you have a recipe to share!  ​

Caramelized Sweet Potato 

First up, the sweet sweet potato.

Normally, with all potatoes, it takes forever to cook them in the oven. This recipe - just 35 minutes. I originally found this recipe on Pinterest and absolutely loved it.  So, here are the step-by-step instructions and video form the original post by Kristin Marr. 
​
1. Preheat the oven to 400F. 
2. Cut the sweet potatoes in half, lengthwise. Place the potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. 
3. Drizzle the potatoes with the oil, and then rub the oil on the flesh of each potato. Sprinkle each potato with just a pinch of salt. 
4. Flip the potatoes over, flesh-side down on the baking sheet. Some oil will spill over on the sheet pan--that's normal and okay. 
5. Bake the sweet potatoes, uncovered, for 30-35 minutes, until the skins begin to look shriveled and soft. Remove the potatoes from the oven. 
6. The baked sweet potatoes should be slightly brown and caramelized on the top of the flesh and soft throughout the potato. Enjoy the potatoes warm, or place them in an air-tight container in the fridge to enjoy later in the week. 

These are so delicious and the olive oil caramelizes the top of the potato making it even sweeter. ​

---

Chipotle Sweet Potatoes 

Okay, now let's talk about the spicy sweet potato. 
 
These are absolutely addicting and make my mouth water just thinking about them! ​I've made these a million times it seems -- for family, friends or to take along to a cookout. They are always a crowd pleaser. 

1. Preheat oven to 400F. 
​2. Peel two or three sweet potatoes, and then cut into bite-sized chunks and place in a bowl. 
3. Drizzle 2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil over the potatoes and mix. 
4. Add chopped onions (I use about half of an onion), 1 tablespoon each of chili powder, garlic powder and southwest chipotle seasoning. 
5. Place potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet. If you want to add a little more zing, throw in some crushed red pepper as well. 

Bake the sweet potatoes, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, flip potatoes by mixing them around and place back in oven for another 20 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
​
I prefer to cut bigger chunks and I like them crispy, so I bake for a total of 40 minutes, but you can remove them earlier if prefer a softer potato. 

​Bon appétit!

How do you like your sweet potatoes? Share in comments below! 

​- Rachel ​