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These must-try sweet potato recipes are the best ways to use this delicious root vegetable! They’ll have everyone coming back for more.

Sweet potato recipes
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When it comes to root vegetables, there’s nothing more versatile than the mighty sweet potato. As cookbook authors, this is one of Alex and my favorite ingredients to use in dishes, from side dishes to dinner—and even dessert!

There’s so much more to this potato than the Thanksgiving casserole. You can make it into fries, chili, soup, salad, and even baked into muffins and breads. Here are all our most popular sweet potato recipes for using this orange veggie, along with a few from favorite recipe developers from around the web.

Our top sweet potato recipes

Buying sweet potatoes

What to look for when you head to the store? Here are a few pointers on purchasing these spuds:

  • Size: Small to medium sweet potatoes are easiest to work with: they’re easier to cut and take less time to bake (if baked whole).
  • Skin: Look for skin that has no bruises or cracks.
  • Type: There are many types of sweet potatoes: some have orange flesh and some have white flesh. The two main types of orange flesh potatoes you’ll find at the store are Jewel, which has a light brown-orange skin and Red Garnet, which has red skin and is slightly thinner. We like Jewel sweet potatoes (pictured below), but these recipes work with any type of orange-fleshed potato. We don’t suggest using white flesh potatoes for these sweet potato recipes, because they cook differently.
Sweet Potato Recipes
Jewel sweet potatoes

Yams vs. sweet potatoes: the difference

What’s the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? Yams are native to Africa and Asia. Compared to sweet potatoes, they’re starchier and drier and have very tough skin. They’re carried in more grocery stores these days, but you’d probably find them in the international and specialty markets. Sometimes grocery stories in the US mislabel sweet potatoes as yams.

For the recipes above, pick from what your grocery labels as “sweet potato”. Make sure it’s an orange flesh sweet potato. Don’t forget about farmers markets: they’re a great place to find sweet potatoes as well!

A few more ideas

Didn’t see a recipe that works for you? Here are a few more ideas for using this tasty tuber:

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Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes
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These must-try sweet potato recipes are the best ways to use this delicious root vegetable! They’ll have everyone coming back for more.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 40 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Side dish
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium)
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Black pepper

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Dice the sweet potatoes into 3/4” cubes, leaving the skin on. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes with the olive oil, garlic powder, and kosher salt.
  3. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the sweet potatoes on top in an even layer. Bake for about 25 minutes, until the cubes are tender and browned on the bottom (no need to stir!). Serve warm. Store leftovers refrigerated. Make ahead instructions: Make up to 3 days in advance and reheat in a 350 degree oven (or microwave or on the stovetop). 

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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4 Comments

  1. Joyce says:

    Nice
    But need ingredients and procedures for sweetpotatoe bread
    Thanks again

  2. Sonja Overhiser says:

    Let us know if you have any questions!






    1. Brad says:

      how spicy is the curry

      1. Alex Overhiser says:

        With the Thai Kitchen brand, it’s a mild spicy level.