Stuffed sweet potato with holiday vibes! Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with crispy bacon, toasty pecans and swirls of browned butter, with melty cheese and a crunchy sage-panko topping. A swoon-worthy combination of flavours and texture.

Stuffed Baked Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a riff on my sweet potato casserole, baked in individual sweet potato boats rather than one big casserole pan. The scooped out flesh of baked sweet potatoes are mashed with all sorts of holiday-flavour-goodness (specifically browned butter, pecans and bacon, an utterly divine combination with sweet potato), stuffed back into the potato boats, baked with melty cheese then finished with a shower of crunchy sage-bacon-flavoured-panko breadcrumbs.

PHEW that’s a long sentence!!!

No, it’s not a quick Monday-night side dish slapped together in a rush. This is a starchy side that commands attention, that’s indulgent and lush and made for special occasions. The flavour combination of sweet-salty-nutty-buttery and the crunchy topping with the creamy insides is just unbelievably good.

Bonus: Assemble ahead then bake on the day!

Ingredients

Sweet potatoes

I’m using 300g/10oz sweet potatoes which, once halved, makes a nice size portion as a side dish for one person, If your potatoes are larger or smaller, that’s fine. There’s enough topping / filling for around 1.2kg / 2.4lb sweet potato, whether it’s 6 smaller ones or 3 larger ones.

This recipe will also work with regular potatoes. But the flavour combination here has been specifically designed for sweet potatoes. Try my regular Twice Baked Stuffed Potatoes instead – though there’s nothing regular about how delicious that recipe is!!

Add-ins and crunchy sage-panko topping

Here’s what you need to mix into the filling and for the crunchy topping.

• Unsalted butter – We’re using this to make browned butter today. More intensely buttery with warm nutty flavours. The better butter!

• Bacon – Chopped then fried up until crispy and golden, we use the fat to pan fry the panko until golden. No wasting free flavour!

• Colby cheese – This is my all-rounder go-to cheese with good melting qualities and flavour without going greasy. Feel free to substitute with other cheese of choice – cheddar, tasty, Monterey jack, gruyere, swiss cheese. If using mozzarella, I’d mix in 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese for a flavour / salt boost.

• Spices – Garlic, onion powder and paprika.

• Panko breadcrumbs – For the toppings! Larger and crunchier than ordinary breadcrumbs, find it in the Asian aisle of regular grocery stores (though cheaper at Asian stores!).

• Fresh sage – This is my herb of choice for this holiday-inspired side dish. The earthy flavour is sheer perfection with the buttery sweet potato. If you’re cooking for a special occasion, I think it’s worth getting. But if you don’t have it, you can substitute with rosemary for another herb that will work well with the other flavours in this dish. Otherwise, just use parsley so you get similar green specks (don’t worry, there is plenty of other flavour going on in this dish!).

How to make Stuffed Sweet Potato Casserole

In a nutshell, the flesh of baked potatoes are mashed up with the tasty add ins, re-stuffed back into the potato then baked with cheese and a crunchy topping.

1. Bake – Prick the skin with a fork to allow excess juice to leak out (this prevents skin burstage). Then bake the potatoes in a 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan forced) oven for 75 minutes or until soft. Check with a butter knife, not a sharp knife (too sharp so it glides through even if not properly cooked, made this mistake!).

2. Scoop – Let it cool for 10 minutes just so you can handle it. Then cut in half and scoop the flesh out, using a tea towel to hold the potato if needed.

3. Filling – Mash the flesh up with all the filling add-ins (see below for steps for each) – the browned butter, crispy bacon bits, chopped pecans, spices and cheese. Reserve half the bacon, pecans and cheese for topping.

4. Stuff the potato with the filling then top with the remaining cheese,

5. Bake for 25 minutes until the cheese is melty and there’s golden spots.

6. Top with the reserved bacon, pecans and golden panko mixture (see below). Bake for a further 3 to 4 minutes just to warm the crunchy topping then serve!

Add-ins and panko topping

Prepare the panko topping and add-ins to mix into the filling while the potatoes are baking.

1. Browned butter – Just melt then simmer the butter until you see golden bits and it smells nutty and intensely buttery. Ideally, use a silver saucepan or small pan so you can see the golden bits. Otherwise, use a spoon to scoop up the butter to check.

2. Toast pecans – Using a non-stick pan, toast the pecans for 3 minutes in a dry pan until it you see golden spots. Then transfer to a cutting board and chop once cool,

3. Crispy bacon – In the same pan, fry the bacon until crispy and golden. If using streaky bacon, you won’t need extra oil because the fat in the bacon will melt. Then remove the bacon using a slotted spoon so the fat in the pan gets left behind – we’re not wasting a drop of it!

4. Crunchy panko – Add the panko, sage and salt. Then cook for a few minutes in the bacon fat until the panko is golden.

Toppings, done! Use as per directions in the section above.

Serving and making ahead

We (JB and I) created this recipe with upcoming holiday gatherings in mind. As in, a starchy side dish intended to make an impact on your guests for those extra special dinners.

Does it take more effort than a regular baked potato? It sure does. Does it take more effort than making one big pan of Sweet Potato Casserole? Yes, because we’re assembling multiple ones rather than dumping everything into one big pan.

Is it worth the effort? Yes, a million times over. As someone in my team said, you feel sad when you finish the last bite because you never want the eating experience to end.

But don’t worry. Steal the last one left for yourself. Hide it. No need to share! #HolidaySpirit 😈 – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Holiday Stuffed Sweet Potato

Recipe video above. Stuffed sweet potato made for holiday feasting! Twice baked sweet potatoes stuffed with crispy bacon, toasty pecans and swirls of browned butter with melty cheese, and a crunchy sage-panko topping. A swoon-worthy combination of flavours and texture, this is the individual servings version of my sweet potato casserole.

Excellent special occasion starchy-side dish with holiday flavour vibes. Get ahead by assembling then baking on the day!

Course Sides

Cuisine Western, Western – Holiday Sides

Keyword baked sweet potato, holiday sweet potato side, stuffed sweet potato, sweet potato recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 45 minutes minutes

Servings 8 halves

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 4 x 300g / 10oz sweet potatoes , skin on, washed and dried
• 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• 5 tbsp pecan nuts (Note 2)
• 200g / 7 oz streaky bacon , chopped (Note 5 to omit)
• 1 1/2 cups colby cheese , shredded (Note 3)
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp paprika

Panko topping:

• 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp sage leaves , finely chopped (Note 4)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan forced).
• Bake – Prick the skin of the potatoes 15 times with a fork. Place on a foil lined baking tray and bake for 75 minutes or until soft all the way through (check with a butter knife).
• Scoop – Once potatoes cooked, allow to cool for 10 minutes just to handle. Cut in half lengthwise then scoop out the flesh, leaving a 0.5cm (0.2") wall (use a tea towel if hot). Place flesh in a bowl.
• Stuffing (*see below for prepping components*)- Mash the potatoes with a fork. Then add the browned butter, 1/2 tsp salt, pepper, garlic, onion powder and paprika. The add half of each the pecans, bacon and cheese (rest reserved for toppings). Stir until combined.
• Stuff – Place halved sweet potato back on a paper lined baking tray and stuff them equally with filling. Sprinkle with leftover cheese and bake for 25 minutes until cheese is melted.
• Crunchy topping – Top with reserved pecans, bacon and panko mixture. Bake for another 3 to 4 minutes
• Rest for 5 minutes then serve!

Stuffing & topping components

• Prepare these while the potatoes are baking.
• Browned butter – Melt the butter in a small silver pan or saucepan over medium heat. Leave to simmer on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring every now and then, until (when you push foam aside) you see little golden-brown bits and it smells nutty. Immediately pour into a small bowl (including the golden bits) and set aside.
• Toast pecans – Heat a non-stick pan over medium high heat. Add pecans and toast for 2 to 3 minutes until they have golden spots. Transfer to cutting board, cool then finely chop.
• Crispy bacon – Add bacon into the same pan over medium heat. When the fat starts to melt, turn the heat up to medium high and cook until golden (4 to 5 minutes). Scoop out bacon with a slotted spoon and place into a small bowl. Leave leftover fat in the pan.
• Golden panko – Still on medium high, add the Panko topping ingredients. Stir until golden, around 2 minutes, then scrape into a bowl.

Notes

1. Sweet potato – If your potatoes are larger or smaller, that’s fine. There’s enough topping / filling for around 1.2kg / 2.4lb sweet potato.

2. Nuts – sub almonds, walnuts, macadamia or other of choice.

3. Cheese alternatives – sub cheddar, tasty, gruyere, Monterey jack, gruyere, swiss cheese. If using mozzarella, I’d mix in 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese for a flavour / salt boost.

4. Sage works so well with the flavours in this dish (fresh, not dried). Rosemary is my back up herb here. Fallback – just use parsley for the green specks in the topping!

5. To leave out bacon – it will still be great without because there’s so many other flavours going on here. If you really want to compensate, then add 1/4 cup parmesan into the filling and 2 tbsp into the Panko mixture. It will take the place of the flavour and salt punch you get from bacon! 

6. Assemble ahead – The potatoes can be cooked and stuffed, then baked the next day. Leftovers will keep for 4 days though there’s nothing like freshly baked!

Nutrition per serving.

More statement starchy sides

Potatoes au Gratin (Dauphinoise)

Spiral Sweet Potato Bake

Twice Baked Potatoes (Stuffed Jacket Potatoes)

Cheesy Mini Potato Gratin Stacks (Muffin Tin)

Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks

Fondant potatoes

Potato Recipes

Life of Dozer

A duck must’ve pooped there.

The post Holiday Stuffed Sweet Potato – with bacon, pecans & sage appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Introducing my (current) favourite sweet potato recipe: roasted thick steak-like slabs of sweet potato served with a whipped tahini sauce and a garlicky-sesame-chilli topping for a Middle Eastern inspired MEATY meatless dinner!

Sweet potato steaks

Named as such because the thick slices of sweet potato kind of remind me of meaty steaks, I love this recipe because it uses economical sweet potatoes to make a really tasty, satisfying meat-free dinner that’s something a little different. Here in Sydney, you can even find “imperfect” sweet potato for as little as 99c/kg ($0.50/lb, GBP0.50/kg).

Cut thick slabs, roasted until tender then dig into it with a knife and fork like you would a rib-eye.

Though, today’s “steaks” are dressed up a whole lot more than I do with beef steaks! A generous smear of tahini yogurt, and a glittering, sizzling topping of garlic, sesame seeds, green and red cayenne peppers. STELLAR flavour combination!

Meet the players in todays’ recipe!

1. Slabs of sweet potato roasted with a simple spice mix until golden on the surface and tender inside.

2. The garlic-sesame-chilli topping.

3. The Whipped Tahini Yogurt (well, it’s just whisked, but “whipped” sounds better 😂)

4. Crunchy toasted flatbread for dunking! (Optional)

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make these meaty meatless steaks. I have an easy alternative for the topping if you need to speed things up. But don’t skip the Tahini Yogurt Sauce or the seasoning for the sweet potato!

a big sweet potato & Seasoning

• Large sweet potato – We need a large one because we will be cutting 2 thick steaks from the centre of it. If you don’t have a large one, don’t fret! Just make more smaller ones.

• Seasoning – Nothing unusual here, just all my usual players. I like to use smoked paprika because it’s got a lovely….well, smokey flavour. 😂 But you can just substitute with ordinary paprika.

Whipped tahini yogurt

“Whipped” is an elaborate name for something that takes 20 seconds to whisk!! 😂 I use the name as a clue of the texture which is more light and fluffy than a basic yogurt sauce. It’s almost like soft whipped cream.

• Plain yoghurt – Not sweetened, and not flavoured.

• Tahini – Paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify which it is.

  Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from other recipes I’ve shared, like this one or this one!

• Lemon – For tangy lemon flavour.

• Garlic – Because it makes it tastier. Finely grate it using a microplane so you don’t have big lumps in the sauce.

TOPPING (or not)

This garlicky, oniony, sesame topping speckled with non-spicy flecks of green and red chilli adds interest, colour and flavour to this sweet potato dish. But on nights when it’s all too hard, I’ll give this a miss and just use a handful of store-bought Crispy Asian Shallots. Crispy, oily and salty, it works a treat as a finishing touch!

• Shallot (US: eschalot) – Also known as French onions, they look like baby onions but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions. Substitute with same amount of finely minced red onion.

• Cayenne peppers – the large chilies that are not very spicy at all once deseeded. They provide a warm hum! If you’re concerned, leave it out and substitute with 1 tsp each coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Different flavour profile but they will bring something else to the dish to compensate.

• Garlic – Finely minced and fried up until golden, it adds a stack of flavour to this topping!

• Toasted pine nuts – For sprinkling on at the end. Substitute with other nuts: pistachios (love the green colour and flavour!), almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds.

• Coriander/cilantro – For a fresh finish and also for colour. Coriander haters can substitute with parsley or chives, but for me, I really like coriander for these Middle Eastern flavours.

How to make Sweet Potato Steaks

This recipe kind of reminds me of a salad – the ingredients list looks lengthy but the making part is low effort!

Cooking the sweet potato steaks

1. Sweet potato cutting – Using a sharp knife, cut a small slice off one end so you can stand the sweet potato upright, stable.

2. Cut the cheeks off, then cut two x 1.8cm/0.7″ thick steaks from the middle that are flat on each side. Ignore my very specific steak size guide (1.8 cm thick, 17 cm long, 7 cm wide (0.7 x 6.5 x 2.75″), just cut whatever you can using the sweet potato you have!

   Too hard? If cutting steaks standing the potato upright is too hard, just cut 1.8cm/0.7″ thick rounds and make sweet potato “filet mignon”!! Depending on your potato size, you should be able to make 4 to 6.

3. Rub with just 2 teaspoons of olive oil then sprinkle with the seasoning mix.

4. Bake at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced) for 45 – 50 minutes or until tender. Don’t flip – we want good colour on the surface.

Topping, sauce & assembling

1. Whipped tahini yogurt sauce – Put the ingredients in a heatproof bowl and whisk to combine. Microwave for 20 seconds, then whisk again for 10 seconds – it will be like soft whipped cream. Serve straight away or at room temp.

2. Toast the pine nuts in a dry small pan until they have golden patches, become shiny with oil and smell amazing. Remove immediately into a bowl.

3. Topping – Heat the oil then sauté all the Topping ingredients for a few minutes until the garlic is golden.

4. Assemble – Smear sauce on a plate.

5. Still assembling… Place the sweet potato on top.

6. Almost finished…. Sprinkle with Topping, pine nuts, coriander/cilantro then a swish of olive oil. A pinch of sumac wouldn’t go astray either, if you’ve got some (lovely lemony red spice used in Middle Eastern / Mediterranean cooking). Now it’s ready to EAT!!

Highly recommended – crispy bread for serving

I will happily eat this just as it is. There’s so much flavour packed into one plate, and that yogurt sauce really makes it.

But if you want to take it over the top, serve with a crispy bread of some kind. Great textural contrast and excellent vehicle for piling! My favourite is some pita or Lebanese bread with a sprinkle of zataar or dukkah. Then just bake for 10 minutes until crispy – pop it in the oven with the sweet potato.

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Sweet potato steaks

Recipe video above. I know the ingredients looks exorbitantly long for something I describe as "an easy way to turn sweet potatoes into a really tasty meaty dinner"! But actually, it is very straight forward. Thick slices of sweet potato roasted with a simple spice mix, then served on a bed of tahini yogurt topped with a glitter of garlic-sesame-chilli and pine nuts. It's a fabulous flavour combination!

Serve with something crunchy – toasted pita bread is my pick. (Note 5)

Course Main, Side Dish

Cuisine Middle Eastern

Keyword sweet potato recipe, sweet potato steaks

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Servings 2

Calories 682cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1 gigantic sweet potato – to cut 2 x “steaks” 1.8 cm thick, 17 cm long, 7 cm wide (0.7 x 6.5 x 2.75") – Note 1
• 2 – 3 tsp olive oil

Spice mix:

• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (sub ordinary)
• 1/2 tsp onion powder (or more garlic powder)
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (or more onion powder)
• 1/4 tsp cumin powder
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Whipped tahini yogurt sauce:

• 1 cup plain yogurt (250g)
• 2 1/2 tbsp tahini (Note 2)
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove , finely grated
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt

Topping:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 1 1/2 tbsp eschallot (US: shallot), finely chopped (Note 3)
• 1 tbsp red cayenne pepper , deseeded, finely chopped (not spicy, Note 4)
• 1 tbsp green cayenne pepper , deseeded, finely chopped (not spicy, Note 4)
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds

Serving:

• 2 tbsp pine nuts , toasted
• 2 tbsp coriander/cilantro leaves , finely chopped
• Pinch of sumac , optional (or paprika)
• Pita or lebanese bread , toasted (Note 5)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan-forced). Line a tray with parchment/baking paper.
• Bake sweet potato – Rub sweet potato steaks with oil, then sprinkle each side evenly with spice mix (don’t rub, it smears). Bake 45 – 50 minutes until potato is soft. Don’t flip.
• Tahini yogurt sauce – Whisk ingredients in a medium heat-proof bowl until mostly combined. Microwave for 20 seconds on high. Whisk again – it will be like softly whipped cream! Use warm or at room temp.
• Toast pine nuts in a small pan (no oil) preheated over medium heat. Once lightly golden, remove into a bowl.
• Topping – In the same pan, heat oil (still on medium). Add all Topping ingredients and cook, stirring, until the garlic is golden. Transfer into a bowl immediately.
• Assemble – Smear most of the yogurt sauce on plate (save some for drizzling). Put sweet potato on top. Sprinkle with Topping, drizzle with yogurt sauce, then sprinkle with pine nuts, coriander and sumac. EAT with crunchy toasted flatbread!

Notes

1. Sweet potato cutting – Using a sharp knife, cut a small slice off one end so you can stand the sweet potato upright, stable. Cut the cheeks off, then cut two x 1.8cm/0.7″ thick steaks from the middle that are flat on each side.

Ignore my very specific steak size guide, just cut whatever you can using the sweet potato you have! And if cutting steaks standing the potato upright is too hard, just cut 1.8cm/0.7″ thick rounds and make sweet potato “filet mignon”!! You can make more than 2.

2. Tahini – Paste made with sesame seeds. Usually found in the health food aisle at grocery stores. Use hulled tahini (more common), not un-hulled which is darker and more bitter. The jar label will specify which it is.

Use Chinese sesame paste as a sub if you have leftovers from recent recipes I’ve shared, like this one or this one!

3. Shallot (US: eschalot) – Also known as French onions, they look like baby onions but have purple-skinned flesh, are finer and sweeter. Not to be confused with what some people in Australia call “shallots” ie the long green onions. Substitute with same amount of finely minced red onion.

4. Cayenne peppers – the large chilies that are not very spicy at all once deseeded. They provide a warm hum! If you’re concerned, leave it out and substitute with 1 tsp each coriander seeds and cumin seeds. Different flavour profile but they will bring something else to the dish to compensate.

5. Crispy pita or Lebanese bread – Cut bread into manageable pieces (or roast whole then break by hand – fun!). Spray or brush with olive oil, sprinkle with salt, and toast in the oven under the sweet potato for the last 10 minutes or so until crisp.

6. Saving on calories – If you want to cut down on fat, please don’t lower the star rating because you’re not happy with the end result (that’s not fair! 😂) BUT here is what you can do (in order of what I’d do first):

a) Use olive oil spray for the sweet potato – save 50 cal per serving
b) Use oil spray to sauté the topping (but be a little generous else it’ll never sizzle!) – save 100 cal per serving
c) Use low fat instead of full fat yogurt – save 60 cal per serving (note: sauce will be thinner)
d) Skip tahini and just make plain yogurt lemon garlic sauce – save 110 cal per serving. I’d be really sad if you had to do this – tahini is so good!
Total potential calorie saving 330 cal (682 cal down to 352 cal).

Nutrition per serving, assuming all yogurt sauce is consumed. This is a big, hearty, meaty meal! See note 6 for calorie cutting.

Nutrition

Calories: 682cal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 41g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 21g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 1373mg | Potassium: 1403mg | Fiber: 11g | Sugar: 18g | Vitamin A: 36466IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 340mg | Iron: 5mg

Some of my (current) favourite meatless meals

Eggplant Curry – South Indian Brinjal Curry

AWESOME vegetarian lettuce wraps

Easy Coconut Curry Sauce

Sesame Crusted Tofu Steaks

Vegetable Tagine

Swiss Mushroom Burgers (quick & easy)

Brazilian Coconut Chickpea Curry

Simple, Very Tasty Cauliflower Cheese Steaks

Vegetarian

Life of Dozer

He likes what he sees.

This was at the Ballroom Dinner at the Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney last week, hosted by Dymocks bookstore. You can watch the video here!

The post Sweet potato steaks appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Lovely caramelised edges on the sweet potato and marinating the kale to tenderise them are two tricks that make this salad tick. Tamarind and maple syrup teamed in the dressing is another – an unusual combo that works amazingly well here.

Find the recipe on page 192 of Dinner.

This is a cookbook exclusive recipe!

This recipe is exclusive to my debut cookbook Dinner which includes a how-to video for every recipe. Just scan the QR code!

Just to explain….

I know, it’s confusing! You’re so used to getting recipes on my website – there’s over 1,200 of them, after all. And here you are looking at a tasty recipe video and I haven’t provided the recipe. 🙀

I’m not just doing this to torture you, I promise.

This page exists to display the how-to video for this recipe which I exclusively created for my debut cookbook, Dinner. Every recipe in the cookbook has a tutorial video. To watch it, you simply scan the QR code with your phone or tablet and it will take you straight to the recipe video like the one shown above!

Curious about my cookbook?

• Read the cookbook overview

• Browse all cookbook exclusive recipes here

• Read the Cookbook Tales. Spoiler alert: there’s A LOT of dirty dishes!! And quite a lot of Dozer. 😂

Stay tuned for more on this page! Some cookbook exclusive recipes will have extra information added as well as extra tips. I am also looking at enabling comments for selected recipes so I can answer reader questions about cookbook recipes. I’m just a little snowed under during this launch period – book tours, getting 131 recipe videos out, launching the book overseas. Please bear with me! – Nagi x (10 October 2022)

The post Devour – Maple Sweet Potato Salad With Tamarind Dressing appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Meet your new favourite sweet potato recipe! Set in a mesmerising ringed pattern, this Sweet Potato Bake is simple to make, eye-catching and tastes even better than it looks. Here’s an excellent, special occasion-worthy side dish that’s still easy enough for dinner tonight!

A sweet potato side dish to impress!

I actually don’t have that many sweet potato side dishes in my repertoire. I think it’s because when I think of potato side dishes, I tend to think crispy (like Duck Fat Potatoes) or creamy and cheesy (like Potato Dauphinoise). So sweet potatoes are never my natural choice. For one, cream + cheese + sweet potato sounds like an odd combination to me (perhaps someone can prove me wrong here). Secondly, sweet potato just doesn’t properly bake up to be crispy like regular potatoes do.

So I decided it was time to expand my sweet potato collection. This spiral Sweet Potato Bake is what I’ve come up, to put an eye-catching spin on an otherwise straightforward bake!

What you need to make this Sweet Potato Bake

Here’s what you need to make this dish:

• Sweet potatoes – To make this dish look neat, look for long, evenly-shaped ones so the slices will be as similar size as possible. But really, if the sweet potato you find aren’t exactly shaped like the above, don’t let that stop you from making this!

• Rosemary – I often pair rosemary with sweet potato. The strong, woody flavour and aroma goes so well, and as a hardy herb it can also stand up to the 50 minutes it takes to bake. Dried herbs would also work here: rosemary, thyme, oregano or a herb mix all come to mind;

• Garlic – For flavour. Not many savoury dishes happen around here without garlic!

• Butter and oil – Butter for flavour, oil to promote some nice crispy edges.

  Did you know? Butter is ~20% water and dairy solids. This is enough to stops things from baking up to be crispy. Oil on the other hand is 100% fat and makes things truly crispy. We love butter for flavour, though. So to get the best of both worlds, I use a combination of both!

• Salt and pepper

How to make a spiral Sweet Potato Bake

1. Slice sweet potato – Leave the skin on and slice the potatoes 3-4mm thick. You can make short work of this if you have a mandoline that can slice them to this thickness. We don’t want them too thin or they’ll flop over when you try to arrange them;

2. Toss – In a large bowl, toss the sweet potato slices with butter, oil, salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. It’s best to use your hands. Separate the slices as you do this because they tend to stick together. We want each slice nicely coated!

3. Arrange in skillet – Arrange the sweet potato slices in an ovenproof skillet (mine is 26cm / 11″) in circles. (Yep, you got me, it’s not a true spiral! But rings actually make more sense here to fill the skillet properly.) To do this, gather a stack at a time (photo 3) and place them in the skillet on its side (photo 4). Continue placing end to end until you’re three quarters of the way around the skillet. Then push them over so they overlap each other. As they spread out, they should fill the perimeter of the skillet.

   Other shapes: It doesn’t have to be round and it doesn’t have to be a skillet. I used my cast iron skillet because it looks great against the orange potato plus it retains heat so well. You can use a baking dish – round, oval or a 25cm/10″ square one. For square or rectangle dishes, I suggest arranging them in lines rather than spiral;

4. Arranging in skillet (continued) – As described in step 3 above;

5. Fill centre – Now do a small overlapping circle in the centre of the skillet, to fill the space as best you can;

6. Bake covered – Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 180°C/350°F (all oven types). In this step, the potatoes should cook most of the way through but not completely;

7. Bake uncovered – Remove from the oven then crank up the oven to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan) to brown the top of the potatoes. Remove the foil, drizzle with olive oil (just to give the potatoes a little helping hand for the browning), and pop it back into the oven for 20 minutes or until the tops are a nicely coloured and a bit crispy.

   Crispy facts: Sweet potato just doesn’t go truly crispy, unlike regular potato. It’s just a plain fact of life, sadly. We will get some nice edges, but actually they’re more chewy caramelised edges rather than crispy. Still, the caramelised bits are delicious and everyone’s favourite part!
   
   Finally, garnish if desired with a little sprinkle of fresh, finely chopped rosemary, maybe also a little whole sprig or two, and a pinch of sea salt flakes.

Now serve your dazzling sweet potato side dish with anything and everything! The only catch is that those edges do soften over time so it’s not the best to keep. As sweet potato already struggles to get real crispiness, it’s at its peak fresh out of the oven. As it cools, the crispy edges soften and they can’t be resurrected.

After leaving it in the fridge overnight, you’ll find it’s completely soft. But that’s not to say it’s not tasty! It still is, with the lovely rosemary-garlic-butter flavour. I’ve been known to give it a freshening by pan-frying slabs of it until golden and crispy. SO GOOD! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Sweet Potato Bake

Recipe video above. Meet your new favourite sweet potato recipe! Set in a mesmerising ringed pattern, this Sweet Potato Bake is simple to make, eye-catching and tastes even better than it looks. Here's an excellent, special occasion-worthy side dish that's still easy enough for dinner tonight!

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Western

Keyword sweet potato bake, Sweet potato casserole, sweet potato side

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Calories 239cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1.25 kg / 2.5 lb 4 -5 sweet potatoes (each 6cm / 2.5" wide, 20cm / 8" long, as evenly shaped as possible); finely sliced, skin on; (Note 1)
• 30g / 2 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
• 2 garlic cloves , finely minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil , plus a little extra for brushing the skillet
• 3/4 tsp kosher / cooking salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped , plus more for garnish / serving

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Brush skillet base and sides with a little olive oil.
• Slice potatoes: Slice potatoes 3-4mm thick. A mandoline will make short work of this.
• Toss: Place in large bowl, pour in all butter plus 1 tbsp olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss well with hands, separating the slices so they are all coated with oil.
• Layer in skillet: Layer potato in skillet in a circular pattern, overlapping the slices. (See post for details)
• Bake covered 30 minutes: Cover with foil, bake for 30 minutes until potato is quite soft (almost fully cooked).
• Brush with oil: Remove from oven, turn up to 220°C/430°F (200°C fan). Remove foil, brush potato with remaining 1 tbsp oil.
• Bake uncovered 20 minutes: Bake 20 minutes until tops are golden and slightly crisp, and potato is cooked through (check with a knife or skewer).
• Serve: Scatter with more rosemary leaves, a whole sprig of rosemary and pinch of sea salt flakes if desired. Serve immediately! Sweet potato loses crispiness as it cools.

Notes

1. Sweet potatoes – To fill a 26cm / 11.5″ cast iron skillet as pictured in post, you will need 1kg / 2lb of potato slices. Recipe calls for 1.25kg / 2.5lb to factor in peeling and trimming. For a neat spiral, we want to use rounds that are as similar size as possible.

2. Storage – Best made and eaten fresh when you have lovely little crispy edges. Leftovers won’t have those crispy edges, but are still tasty!

3. Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 239cal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 643mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 26932IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 60mg | Iron: 1mg

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Sweet Potato

Life of Dozer

Photo from the Golden Retriever boarder while I’m in Tasmania – this is what surrounds her every morning when she’s munching on dry toast. (That’s Dozer’s big face at the front there, shoving his way to the front of the pack!).

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