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5 dishes that go well with sweet potato

28th April 2020 Print

Sweet potatoes are a wonderfully versatile and filling food, packed with goodness. Whether they are roasted, boiled, mashed or baked, this traditional side dish has become a dinner-time staple.

If you are looking for some mealtime inspiration, here are five dishes that go fantastically with sweet potatoes.

Chilli con carne and wedges

There’s not much that can beat a steaming hot bowl of spicy chilli con carne. Top with sour cream and guacamole and serve with McCain Sweet Potato Wedges, so you can dig in and enjoy this perfect comfort food.

INGREDIENTS

- 1.25kg potatoes, peeled

- 1 onion, peeled and sliced

- 350g beef mince

- 400g tin peeled tomatoes

- 410g tin red kidney beans in water, drained

- 1 little gem lettuce

- 1 tsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle

- 1 tsp mild chilli powder

- 150 ml beef stock

- Sour cream and guacamole to serve

- McCain Sweet Potato Wedges

METHOD

- Preheat the oven to 220°C.

- Spread the wedges onto a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes until crisp.

- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large pan and fry the onion until soft.

- Add the mince and chilli powder to the pan and cook until the mince is browned.

- Add the stock along with the peeled tomatoes and drained kidney beans. Simmer on a low heat for 20 minutes.

- Season with black pepper and serve with the potato wedges, sour cream and guacamole and some crisp lettuce leaves.

Vegan loaded sweet potato fries

If you are looking for a healthy dish, then these delicious vegan loaded sweet potato fries are perfect. Top them with red peppers, avocado and fresh herbs to make a dish that is wonderfully light and filling. Add black beans for some extra fibre, protein and calcium and serve with homemade cashew cream instead of sour cream.

INGREDIENTS

- 4 medium sweet potatoes cut into strips

- 1-2 tbsp coconut oil

- ½ red pepper, diced

- 1 ripe avocado

- 2 limes

- ½ tin cooked black beans

- Chives or spring onions, chopped

- ¼ bunch of parsley, chopped

- 1 jalapeño pepper, thinly sliced (optional)

- Cashew nuts

- Lemon juice

METHOD

- Preheat oven to 220°C and line a baking tray.

- Arrange the sweet potato wedges on the baking tray and add generous pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for around 30 minutes until lightly browned.

- As the sweet potato cooks, mash the avocado, adding the juice of one lime and salt and pepper.

- Make the cashew cream by pre-soaking cashew nuts in a bowl of water for two hours. Strain the cashews using a sieve and put into a blender adding 200ml of water and blend until smooth. Add more water to get the consistency you require. Add a pinch of salt and the juice of a lemon until the cream is similar to sour cream.

- Top the sweet potato fries with the vegetables, beans and a few squeezes of lime and drizzle over the cashew sour cream or put it in a bowl to use a dip on the side.

Sweet potato veggie burger

Sweet potatoes don’t just have to be a side dish, they can also be enjoyed as the main event too. These sweet potato veggie burgers are so quick and simple to make, they’ll become a regular on your menu.

INGREDIENTS

- 400g sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

- 100g polenta

- 150g sweetcorn

- ½ red onion, finely chopped

- 1 crushed garlic clove

- A small handful of oregano, roughly chopped

- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, lightly toasted and crushed

- Burger buns

- Salad leaves

- Tomato chutney

- Vegan mayonnaise

- Cherry tomatoes (optional)

METHOD

- Preheat the oven to 200°C.

- Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and cook the sweet potatoes for 7-8 minutes. Drain and then put them into a large mixing bowl.

- Add the fennel seeds, sweetcorn, onion, oregano and polenta and a generous pinch of salt and pepper.

- Shape the mixture into patties and coat each in some of the polenta. Put them on a roasting tray and brush oil over each one.

- Bake in the oven for about 25 minutes, until the burgers are golden and piping hot throughout.

- Serve in burger buns with lettuce, relish, vegan mayonnaise and cherry tomatoes.

Chicken, sweet potatoes, Brussel sprouts and apple mix

This colourful and nutritious dish is loaded with healthy ingredients bursting with flavour. Cooked in just one pan, it also saves on the washing up.

INGREDIENTS

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- 450g boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes

- 1 tsp salt

- ½ tsp black pepper

- 4 slices thick bacon, chopped

- 100g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and quartered

- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes

- 1 medium onion, chopped

- 2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cubed

- 4 cloves garlic

- 2 tsp chopped thyme

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 250ml chicken stock

METHOD

- Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium to high heat.

- Add the chicken, salt and black pepper and cook until lightly browned and thoroughly cooked through. Transfer the chicken onto a plate lined with a paper towel.

- Reduce the heat and add the chopped bacon and cook until crisp.

- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the back to another plate lined with a paper towel. Leave around 1½ tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan, discarding the rest.

- Turn up the heat to medium-high again and add the Brussel sprouts, sweet potato, onion and the rest of the salt.

- Stirring occasionally, cook until crisp and the onions start to look translucent.

- Add the garlic, apples, cinnamon and thyme as you stir the mixture. Cook for a further 30 seconds and then pour in half of the chicken stock.

- Bring to a boil and cook for a further 2 minutes until much of the liquid has evaporated. Put the chicken back into the pan and the remaining stock.

- Continue cooking for 2 minutes until everything is heated through. Stir in the bacon and serve as is or with a crisp green salad and crusty bread.

Sweet potato cakes with poached eggs

These tasty gluten-free sweet potato cakes served with poached eggs make the ideal quick dinner or weekend brunch. The harissa gives the dish a kick and make sure your taste buds are wide awake.

INGREDIENTS

- Olive oil

- 4 eggs

- 100g harissa

- 200g Greek yoghurt

- A handful of micro-herbs

- 500g sweet potatoes, peeled and grated

- 200g gluten-free flour

- 1 small pack of parsley, chopped

METHOD

- Squeeze out any excess moisture from the sweet potatoes and then mix with the flour, egg white, parsley, harissa and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Shape the mixture into eight cakes.

- Heat some oil in a pan and fry the sweet potato cakes for around three minutes on each side or until golden brown.

- Poach the eggs in a saucepan of simmering water for around three minutes until the yolks are runny.

- Using a slotted spoon, remove the eggs and drain on a paper towel.

- Spread some of the harissa in the middle of the serving plates and top with a generous dollop of yoghurt.

- Place one sweet potato cake on each plate and then sandwich another on top with more yoghurt.

- Top each stack with the remaining yoghurt and finish off with an egg. Season to taste and drizzle over some more of the harissa and sprinkle some micro-herbs to garnish.

Sweet potatoes may be an unsung hero of mealtimes, but this delicious and hugely versatile food can be used in many different ways to create tasty, healthy and filling dishes.