Growing up, the only sweet potatoes I knew were served with Thanksgiving dinner, smothered in marshmallows and brown sugar. Then I learned about baked sweet potato fries.
Now I’ll take a sweet potato over its whiter, starchier counterpart just about any day of the week.
Since we all have to begrudgingly admit that yes, it is still winter (stupid groundhog!), now is the time to pay homage to root vegetables.
Sweet potatoes can be served mashed, blended into soups, breads, stews or in lieu of a traditional baked potato. They also make great oven fries for moments when you’re craving something that tastes a little bit more indulgent.
A lot of us confuse sweet potatoes with yams, when in actuality there are some subtle differences between the two.
Even though we use the terms interchangeably, in actuality the sweet potatoes and yams that we find here in the US are actually all sweet potatoes.
Yams, of which there are about 200 varieties do not grow in the States but were first identified by African slaves as “nayami.”
Pretty cool, right?
Neither sweet potatoes nor yams are actually even included in the “potato” family: they are considered tubers and the sweet potato that we know is actually considered a cousin to the morning glory flower.
Of all of the ways I’ve eaten sweet potatoes, roasted and baked sweet potatoes are by far my favorite. The longer they cook, the more flavorful they become. They have a natural sweetness that even satisfies my own enormous sweet tooth.
- 1 medium sweet potato
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- Coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper
- Preheat oven to 450F. Scrub sweet potato, slicing off the ends as well as any blemishes that you wouldn’t want to eat. Slice the sweet potato lengthwise into ½ inch pieces,.and then stacking two pieces together, cut potatoes into ½ inch strips.
- Arrange strips onto a foil lined baking sheet (or if you're out of aluminum foil like I was, a baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray). Brush strips with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, tossing gently to coat.
- Bake for approximately 30 minutes, tossing sweet potatoes every ten minutes or so (to ensure that they cook evenly, especially if some of your pieces wind up to be different sizes).
What’s your favorite way to eat sweet potatoes?
19 Comments
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February 10, 2011 at 9:19 pm[…] Sweet Potato Fries from In Good Taste […]
Eileen@passions to pastry
February 25, 2009 at 3:00 amLove sweet potato fries. And I feel like I’m being so healthy when I make them.
magda
February 25, 2009 at 3:00 amsweet potatoes are on my all-time list of favorite foods. I’ve seriously been buying them by the bagful at trader joe’s.
Sweet potato fries are a staple, but I’ve recently been making what I call my “Virginia breakfast,” which is totally made up by me but whatever. I skillet-fry the sweet potato like home fries, with plenty of salt and pepper. I put them in a bowl and top them with a fried egg; sour cream; green onions. I know it sounds weird. It undoubtedly is. But it’s so, so tasty!
Cora @ CoraCooks
February 24, 2009 at 3:00 amBeautiful sweet potato pics! I am a huge fan of them in any form. Must try fries next!
E.P.
February 23, 2009 at 3:00 amSweet potato fries are some of my favorite things ever. And it makes me REALLY happy that I can make them at home.
Marthe
February 23, 2009 at 3:00 amThis looks very tasty! I still have a sweet potato lingering around in the back of my fridge… hmmmm….
Cate O'Malley
February 23, 2009 at 3:00 amMmm, love sweet potatoes. A little bit of brown sugar and a hint of butter, and I’m done.
Jessica
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amI don’t actually care for sweet potatoes, but I love sweet potato fries and sweet potato chips. Both are lovely.
Sara
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amI LOVE sweet potato fries. I just made spicy indian sweet potatoes last night, will post the recipe soon 🙂
Pearl
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 ami used to eat sweet potatoes, nuked in the microwave. the ends would get all hard and crunchy and a lot of the moisture would be gone – it would be like a delicious, chewy treat 🙂
thatShortChick
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 ami have fallen in love with sweet potato fries! which is something i never ever thought i would like.
i just bought a bag of sweet potato fries from trader joe’s and am almost finished. so yummy.
Melissa
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amI love sweet potatoes too. I have been known to mash them up and put them in a quesadilla or cube them, roast them and throw them in a pot of vegetarian chili.
and I have also been known to bring one to work, microwave it and eat it for lunch with a little butter.
your fries sound really good though. sounds like something to try.
Leslie
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amI too didnt like until adulthood, but now I adore them!
I love to bake them and put some splenda, a bit of butter and pure maple syrup on them…YUM
Su-Lin
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amI also love sweet potato fries but I usually cut them into cubes and sprinkle them with olive oil and smoked paprika before roasting them. Yummy!
susan
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amI love sweet potatoes too, but I never think to pick them up. When I learned that they are actually more healthy for you than regular potatoes it made me want to start using them more. Thanks for the recipe!
Heather
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 ami love sweet potato fries. have you ever tried them with truffle oil? so indulgent and good!!
beyond
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 ama dish of sweet potatoes with marshmallow topping makes me shudder.
love love love sweet potato fries. in addition to olive oil, sea salt and pepper, i sometimes give them a sprinkling of chili flakes. oh yum.
VeggieGirl
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amSWEET POTATOES!!!!! My love.
Erin
February 22, 2009 at 3:00 amI love sweet potato fries as well! And sometimes I cut them like chips. I always sprinkle them with Jane’s Krazy-Mixed-Up-Salt and Jane’s Krazy-Mixed-Up-Pepper. It’s a two seasoning blends my dad always bought. Mmmm… and I serve mine with organic ketchup!