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Sweet potato creme brulee, sweet potato casserole, loaded sweet potatoes, and more
The sweet potato is a humble root vegetable that doesn’t necessarily need a whole lot to be delicious. A drizzle of olive oil, some salt, and ample roasting time is enough to make a perfectly acceptable side dish this Thanksgiving. The sweet potato, however, can be so much more than a simple side dish. You can reimagine dessert with a sweet potato loaf cake complete with toffee sauce or lean into the natural sweetness with a streusel-topped sweet potato. You can go savory with a sweet potato gnocchi or a cardamom-laced sweet potato bread that tastes just like the holidays. Whatever you choose to do, these are Eater staffers’ favorite recipes that make sweet potatoes the star.
Roasted Sweet Potato Creme Brulee
Anthony Inn
Sweet potato might not initially be thought of as a crème brûlée flavor, but this recipe makes the case for why it should be. I first came across these custard baked potatoes in Japan; after seeing them again at a Thai night market in Los Angeles, I had to attempt them myself. This recipe hails from the restaurant Kin Gin on New York’s Lower East Side. You’re essentially making a creme brulee custard base that is mixed with the insides of a roasted sweet potato, pouring the custard into the hollowed out potato, baking until the custard sets, and then finishing the top with torched sugar. The result is unlike any sweet potato you’ve ever had: creamy and luxurious with a crackly bruleed top. — Kat Thompson, Eater at Home associate editor
Sweet Potato Oven Fries with Comeback Sauce
Julia Turshen, Now & Again
Confession: I don’t love homemade oven fries. Maybe it’s because I’ve struggled to make them the exact level of crispiness a restaurant (or, seemingly, an air fryer) can achieve, and I always end up disappointed in the texture. This recipe — from my go-to cookbook Now & Again by Julia Turshen — employs genius techniques to get the fries just right: preheat two sheet pans in a 425-degree oven before placing any fries on them, flip the fries halfway through the cook, and swap the sheet pans between oven racks for a super-even roast. Ideally, the fries are tender when pierced with a fork but crispy and brown all over. The piece de resistance is the accompanying Comeback Sauce (originating in Central Mississippi and so named because people keep coming back for it) with mayo, ketchup, horseradish, lemon juice, and salt. The result is a sweet, tangy, and sharp dipping sauce for your (finally!) perfect oven fries. — Jess Mayhugh, managing editor
Loaded Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Cheddar
Sarah Jampel, NYT Cooking
This has become my go-to cold weather meal prep recipe: You can really add anything to them here before the second bake. I cook up a can of hatch green chiles, chorizo (or soyrizo for vegetarians), and spinach with my black beans, making the ultimate cheddar-covered baked sweet potato. I usually cook three to four sweet potatoes at a time, so we have easily reheatable leftovers for lunches and quick dinners, plus you can just eat one half if you’re not too hungry (or if they happen to be really loaded). — Emily Venezky, Eater DC associate editor
Sweet Potato Casserole with Graham Cracker Streusel
Mindy Fox, Epicurious
I have become the Sweet Potato Bringer at our family’s large, outdoor potluck Thanksgiving, mostly because I am the only one who must have them (or it’s not Thanksgiving, obviously). Every year, I bring a sweet potato casserole with essentially the same elements: mashed sweet potatoes — slow-roasting them in the oven lends a deeper flavor — brightened with things like orange juice or cinnamon applesauce; some sort of pecan-y crumbly brown sugar topping; and blistered marshmallows. It’s all very satisfying but can become somewhat formulaic, which is why, a couple years ago, I kicked it up a notch with Epicurious’s s’moresy take on the classic: In this recipe, the sweet potato mixture gets added earthiness from maple syrup and unsweetened cocoa powder, while the pecan topping’s punch-up is the addition of crushed graham crackers (you can buy them gluten-free to be more inclusive). It’s not a dramatically different flavor from the original, meaning the eternal crowd-pleaser lives on. — Nicole Adlman, cities manager
Sweet Potato Shakshuka with Sriracha Butter and Pickled Onions
Noor Murad and Yotam Ottolenghi, Ottolenghi Test Kitchen: Shelf Love
As someone who a) loves sweet potatoes and b) loves shakshuka but can no longer eat the traditional tomato-based version for annoying digestive reasons, I was beyond happy to discover that Yotam Ottolenghi’s test kitchen had created none other than a sweet potato shakshuka, a dish planted squarely in the middle of my Venn diagram of personal food preferences. No, this is in no way, shape or form traditional, but it is very simple and very good. It’s really just roasted sweet potatoes mashed with a healthy amount of sharp cheddar, garlic, cumin, lemon juice, and olive oil, and then cooked in a skillet with some eggs on top. Ottolenghi directs you to serve it with pickled onions and Sriracha butter; I skip the former (see: annoying digestive issues) and go heavy on the latter, and I am here to tell you it is glorious. — Rebecca Flint Marx, Eater at Home editor
Lentil & Sweet Potato Shepherd’s Pie
Julia Turshen, What Goes with What
As the resident cook for a household of mismatched dietary preferences, I really have to roll up my sleeves to find deeply filling meals that will satisfy everyone’s oohs and icks. It’s a tall order for a meal that needs to combine ambitious amounts of protein, be veg-friendly, and of course, hold up well in the fridge. Julia Turshen’s vegan shepherd’s pie from What Goes With What aptly fits the bill, swapping sweet potato puree for standard mash and lentils for ground beef or lamb. It’s sturdy but soothing, and acts as an even better canvas for whatever side dish we’re roasting (honey mustard Brussels sprouts! cheesy broccoli!) to make the meal feel new. — Jesse Sparks, senior editor
