4 Easy-to-Make Holiday Sweet Potatoes Recipes

This recipe and photos were provided by Sally Roeckell of Table and Dish and were originally published at 365Barrington.com.

What is your favorite holiday side dish? If you said sweet potatoes, you’re in the right place! Whether you’re a fan of sweet and gooey or you choose crispy and savory, there’s a sweet potato dish for you. It seems, at least in my part of the country, that sweet potatoes always have a seat at the holiday table.

It was a dish that I personally passed up every year. Mashed sweet potatoes with sugar and marshmallows just never appealed to me. Don’t get me wrong, everyone else at the table seemed to enjoy the sweet goodness. I guess I am on team savory.

Today, I’m sharing recipes for Arugula Salad with Caramelized Sweet Potato, Crock Pot Sweet Potatoes, Sweet Potato Soufflé in Phyllo Pastry and Sweet Potato Gnocchi, so there’s something for everyone! From traditional mashed sweet potatoes to roasted sweet potatoes with salty crispy edges. Why limit yourself to one option?

Arugula Salad with Caramelized Sweet Potato

Last year, in January, I made a wonderful Arugula Salad with Caramelized Sweet Potato. It was part of a series on getting healthier in the new year. This year I’m adding it to my holiday table. With all the heavy dishes taking part in the festivities, a light and brightly flavored salad adorned with pomegranate perils, a citrus dressing and creamy roasted sweet potatoes seem like a great addition.

Crock-Pot Sweet Potatoes

One of the dilemmas we always face in hosting a holiday dinner is kitchen real estate. Space is in short supply on the stovetop and in the oven. Crock-Pot Sweet Potatoes are the perfect remedy for that. If you’re a fan of traditional mashed sweet potatoes, you can easily make them in your slow cooker. Plug it in and forget about it. When it’s time to serve them. dish them out into your serving dish and put them on the table. It couldn’t be easier. The beautiful part of this is that it’s off to the side on your counter, taking up no valuable space in your oven.

Ingredients

• 6 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, plus more as needed
• 1/2 cup milk, plus more as needed
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• Kosher salt

Method

1. Place potatoes and carrots in the bowl of a slow cooker and top with remaining ingredients. Season with salt.
2. Cover and cook on low setting, stirring periodically, for 6 to 8 hours or until potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning. Using a hand-held mixer, whip at medium speed until combined and light and fluffy. Add a bit of additional milk and/or cream, if needed, to achieve a creamy texture, but do not over-mix. (For totally smooth potatoes, mash first with a potato masher, then whip with the mixer.)

Sweet Potato Soufflé in Phyllo Pastry

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup half and half
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 8 tablespoons salted butter, melted
• 2 eggs separated
• 12-18 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
• sea salt for seasoning

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F. Butter an 8-9 inch springform pan.
2. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until soft and tender. When the sweet potatoes are cooked, allow to cool. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F.
3. Peel the skins away from the sweet potatoes and mash well in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the maple syrup, vanilla, flour, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, half and half, 2 tablespoons butter, and egg yolks, mixing until combined. Set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites carefully into sweet potato mixture.
5. Set aside while you prepare the phyllo dough.
6. In a small bowl, mix the remaining 6 tablespoons butter and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
7. Place 1 sheet of phyllo dough on a clean counter and brush with the cinnamon butter. Repeat, layering 3 more times. Placing the sheets of dough over top of each other. Carefully transfer the buttered phyllo to the prepared pan, gently pressing it to fit inside. Repeat, overlapping each layer 3 more times until you have completely covered the bottom and sides of the pan to create the crust and have used between 12-18 sheets of dough. Fold in uneven edges toward the center of the pan.
8. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into the center of the phyllo dough. Spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with sea salt.
9. Transfer to the oven and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the phyllo is golden brown and the center appears set.

Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Ingredients

For the Gnocchi

• 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 2 cups once mashed)
• 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 large egg
  2-3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Brown Butter Sauce 

• 6 tablespoons salted butter
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper
• kosher salt and pepper
• top with shaved or grated Parmesan cheese ( optional)

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 400°F.
2. Poke a few holes in the sweet potatoes and bake for 45 minutes, or until soft and tender. When the sweet potatoes are cooked and have cooled enough to handle, remove the peel and finely mash or puree them.
3. In a large bowl, mix together the sweet potatoes, mascarpone cheese, egg, salt, and flour. Stir the mixture until just combined. If the dough seems wet, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, until it can be formed into a ball. The dough should be sticky.
4. Generously flour a clean counter and scrape the dough out onto it. Cut the dough into four equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll the dough into a rope about 1 inch thick and cut into bite-size pieces.
5. Repeat this process with the other pieces of dough and place the gnocchi on a baking sheet that has been dusted with flour. At this point, the gnocchi can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 1 day, and then boiled just before you are ready to eat, or boiled right away.
6. To make the sauce. Heat the butter and shallot in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the shallot is fragrant and the butter begins to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Stir in the sage and rosemary and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Simmer the sauce for 3-5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the gnocchi until they float to the top and are cooked through, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the gnocchi using a slotted spoon and drop directly into the sauce, gently tossing to combine.
8. Serve topped with cheese if desired and enjoy!

Quick Tip: Here’s a little insight into my style. When serving these gnocchi I like to top them with a dollop of sour cream or labneh. Then, my new joy is to sprinkle it with a bit of Dukkah.