7 Healthy Sweet Potato Recipes To Spice Up Your Meal Plan

What Makes The Sweet Potato Such a Hit

Sweet potatoes are versatile and popular due to their starchy, sweet taste. They're the perfect ingredient for a variety of recipes and can be baked, fried, mashed, eaten plain or used in savory dishes. Though there's a wide variety of sweet potatoes, the Beauregard and Garnet are most popular. Like the colors of their skins, these sweet potatoes are quite different from one another. The red-skinned Beauregard is a Southern favorite, used in dishes like candied yams or sweet potato pie. The orange-fleshed Garnet is more common in Caribbean cooking, especially in curried dishes and soups.

When it comes to comfort foods, sweet potatoes come up topsthe natural sweetness of this vegetable makes it the perfect choice for a dessert or a snack. But sweet potatoes also boast great nutritional value, loaded as they are with Vitamins A and C, potassium and manganese. Since they're low on the glycemic index, they don't cause blood sugar levels to spike. In addition, they're packed with fiber to help regulate digestion.

Sweet Potato Casserole With Marshmallows

When you hear the words 'sweet potato casserole', do you think of a marshmallow-topped pan, or do you imagine a gratin dish with Parmesan? Is it cinnamon seasoning that works for you, or salt and pepper? Every sweet potato casserole is different and unique, but they're all special. You'll likely have one on your Thanksgiving menu, even if it's not the same as the one on your neighbor's dining table. For those with a sweet tooth, here's a classic sweet potato casserole recipe with marshmallows.

Ingredients-
1. Six medium sweet potatoes
2. Mini marshmallows (to top)
3. Salt (to taste)
4. A pinch of cinnamon powder
5. Chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts, hazelnut, cashews)
6. Butter (to grease)


Instructions-

1. In a pot of boiling water, cook the sweet potatoes in their jackets. Let them cook until fork-tender. Drain, then allow them to cool for about five minutes when they'll be much easier to handle. Don't let the sweet potatoes get soggy.
   
2. Peel, mash, mix well and add salt and butter to taste. Add chopped nuts, and combine.
   
3. Lightly spoon the mixture into a casserole dish greased with butter and bake in an oven preheated to moderately hot (350 F) until well heated. Remove from the oven. Quickly top with marshmallows. Return to the oven until the marshmallows are delicately browned.
   

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

One of the easiest ways to cook sweet potatoes is to roast them. However, following a few simple rules is important to ensure that your roasted sweet potatoes are consistent in texture and taste every time you make them.

1. Cut your sweet potatoes to the same size. One inch cubes work well.
2. The skin usually adds a nice flavor to roasted sweet potatoes. It's up to you to peel the skin or not.
3. Roast the sweet potatoes uncovered at an extremely high temperature. Since sweet potatoes already have natural sugars, slow roasting brings out other flavors. Covering them with foil or a lid will cause them to steam instead of developing that sweet golden char on the outside.
4. Flavor them your way. If you want to add some heat to your recipe, try adding a dried spice like cumin, chili powder, turmeric, or curry powder. Dried herbs like rosemary or basil are both delicious with sweet potatoes.

Ingredients-

1. 25 oz sweet potatoes (cubed into one-inch pieces)
2. One tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil
3. Salt to taste
4. A pinch of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions-
1. Preheat the oven to 450 F. Place sweet potatoes on a large baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and season with salt, pepper, and other spices you prefer.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes halfway through roasting, and roast for about 25 to 30 minutes.

Buttermilk Sweet Potato Pie

The sweet potato pie is the pumpkin pie's wild, orange-haired, freckled cousin. It sits well at Thanksgiving dinners and has the potential to give the classic pumpkin pie a run for its money. Not too sweet but just right, the filling of this sweet potato pie is tangy from the buttermilk, and has a nice, rustic texture. We guarantee you, it will beat your other Dinner Recipes hollow.

Ingredients-

• One unbaked nine-inch pie shell (homemade or store-bought)
• One egg white
• 2 and 1/2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
• Six tablespoons of unsalted butter (melted)
• 2/3 cup of buttermilk
• Two eggs
• One egg yolk
• One teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Granulated sugar (5 oz)
• Dark brown sugar (3.5 oz)
• Two teaspoons ground cinnamon
• One teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon of ground nutmeg

Instant Pot Sweet Potato Chicken Coconut Curry

There are two things curry never fails to do- fill you up and warm you up. A bowl of Instant PotSweet Potato Chicken Coconut Curry ticks both boxes. What's more, you can whip it up in 30 minutes. Delicious, with a burst of flavors, it's mildly spicy, creamy and has a hint of sweetness.

Ingredients-

• 2 cups boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut in one-inch pieces)
• Two medium sweet potatoes (cubed)
• A jar of coconut curry simmer sauce
• Two tablespoons oil
• One medium onion (chopped)
• 1 cup coconut milk or cream (add more for a creamier curry)
• Salt and pepper (to taste)
• Cilantro (for garnish)

Sweet Potato & Chickpea Salad

Sweet Potato Chickpea Salad makes a filling, yet healthy lunch or dinner for those on a vegan or gluten-free diet. Fresh Produce will impart a delicate taste to the dish and keep any Food Allergy at bay.

Ingredients-

• Two medium sweet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
• One tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• One can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)
• Four cups of spring mix salad greens
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes are like a classic sweet potato casserole, but instead of baking it as one giant dish, you slice the potatoes in half and stuff them with a trio of goodies. It's the perfect blend of textures and flavorssweet and rich!

Ingredients-

• Five medium sweet potatoes
• Four tablespoons unsalted butter (softened)
• Three tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)
• Two tablespoons streusel (buy a box of cinnamon-flavored for an additional flavor)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• Two tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon (divided)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1/4 tablespoon ground nutmeg
• Salt (to taste)
• Three tablespoons light brown sugar
• A cup of mini marshmallows

1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Line a baking sheet (rimmed) with aluminium foil. Pierce all the sweet potatoes with a fork several times. Place them on the prepared baking sheet and bake until soft, for 50 minutes approx.
   
2. Take them out of the oven. Let them cool for a while. Leave the oven on at 375 F.
   
3. In the meantime, prepare the topping. Mix the flour, pecans, brown sugar, and half the cinnamon with a pinch of salt in a bowl. Pour in three tablespoons of melted butter. Stir well.
   
4. Using a sharp knife to split the sweet potatoes down their length, scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl while leaving about a one-fourth-inch rim of sweet potato around each.
   
5. Place the hollowed-out sweet potato skins on a baking sheet lined with foil.
   
6. Mash the potato flesh well with a potato masher and add the cream, softened butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Blend well.
   
7. Take the hollowed sweet potato skins and fill them evenly with the mashed mix.
   
8. Top each sweet potato with streusel. Return them to the oven. Bake until the top looks golden brown and crisp, for about 15 minutes.
   
9. Pull the sweet potatoes from the oven. Move the rack to beneath the broiler. Sprinkle the marshmallows evenly over them, then broil briefly, no longer than a minute or until they begin to brown.
   

Creamy Cauliflower & Sweet Potato Soup

There's nothing better than a steaming bowl of soup on a cold winter's night. Not only does a piping-hot bowl keep you warm, but it also comes with a bundle of health benefits. This creamy soup with cauliflower and sweet potato is filling, delicious and rich with spices.

Ingredients-

• Orange-flesh sweet potatoes (26 oz, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces)
• Four cups cauliflower florets
• Chopped onion (a cup)
• 1/2 carrot (chopped)
• Two cloves minced garlic
• Six cups vegetable broth
• Two teaspoons coriander powder
• One teaspoon cumin powder
• A pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
• Salt (to taste)
• One cup canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
• Chopped fresh cilantro for garnishing

1. Except for the coconut milk and cilantro, combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on a low flame for six to eight hours. If you want it done faster, cook it on high flame for three to four hours.
   
2. A handheld immersion blender does the quick work of pureeing the hot soup. Cool the soup slightly and transfer it in batches to a food processor or blender if you don't have a handheld blender. Cover and process or blend until smooth.
   
3. Mix the coconut milk. Stir well. Garnish with chopped cilantro.