By ShowMeStepByStepPublished Updated
Based on a video by Allrecipes.
Sweet potatoes are one of those vegetables that work in almost any direction - sweet, savory, or somewhere in the middle. Nicole from Allrecipes walks through three recipes that cover all three moods.
The sweet potato souffle gets a streusel topping made with brown sugar, pecans, coconut, and butter that bakes into a crunchy, caramelized crust - no marshmallows needed. The loaded twice-baked version goes in a completely different direction with chipotle peppers, maple syrup, sour cream, and pepper jack cheese. And the amaretto roasted potatoes are the surprise: cubed sweet potatoes tossed with amaretto liqueur, fresh thyme, and sliced almonds that come out tender, lightly glazed, and deeply flavorful.
Place whole sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Pierce each one with a fork or knife - you don't need to peel them. Bake at 400F until completely soft inside, about 45-60 minutes depending on size. Baking whole brings out their natural sweetness and you don't have to watch them at all.
Tip
You can bake these the night before and refrigerate them. Cold baked sweet potatoes are actually easier to scoop and mash.
Scoop the hot sweet potato flesh into a large mixing bowl - the recipe calls for about 3 cups mashed. While the potatoes are still warm, add in a third cup of butter and let the heat melt it. Mix in sugar (you can go lighter if you want it less sweet), a splash of vanilla, a pinch of salt, half a cup of milk, and two eggs. Stir everything together until smooth and pour into a greased casserole dish.
Tip
Add the eggs last, after the butter and milk have cooled the potato mixture a bit. You don't want scrambled eggs in your casserole.
Combine one cup brown sugar, one cup chopped pecans, half a cup of sweetened shredded coconut, a third cup of flour, a pinch of salt, and melted butter. Mix until crumbly - the flour keeps everything separated so it bakes up with a nice streusel texture. Spread it evenly over the sweet potato base and bake at 350F for 30-40 minutes until the filling is set with just a slight jiggle.
Tip
The coconut is the surprise ingredient here. Once it toasts it adds a chewiness that works really well against the crunchy pecans and creamy filling underneath.
The souffle is done when the streusel is golden and caramelized and the filling is set. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving - it firms up as it cools. The ratio of topping to potato base here is what makes this different from the standard marshmallow casserole. You get crunch, chew from the coconut, and that creamy sweet potato filling all in one bite.
Tip
Add a small pinch of flaky salt over the top right before serving. The contrast between sweet and salty makes the flavors pop.
For the twice-baked recipe, salt the whole sweet potatoes and pierce them with a knife, then bake at 450F until tender inside, about 30 minutes. At the same time, start the bacon in a cold pan. Starting cold lets the fat render out slowly so you get really crispy bacon. Once cooked, chop the bacon and save a spoonful of the drippings.
Tip
The bacon drippings go into the mashed filling - it's just a spoonful but it adds a depth of flavor that's hard to replicate otherwise.
Slice off the top third of each baked potato and scoop out most of the flesh into a bowl. Mash it with butter, a spoonful of bacon drippings, one chopped chipotle pepper plus a spoonful of the adobo sauce from the can, a drizzle of maple syrup, sliced green onion (save some for garnish), sour cream, half the shredded pepper jack, and most of the crispy bacon. Pack the filling back into the potato skins.
Tip
Chipotles vary a lot in heat level. Taste as you go and add more or less depending on what you're working with. Swap pepper jack for cheddar if you want to dial down the spice.
Top each stuffed sweet potato with the remaining shredded pepper jack and bake again until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown on the edges. Garnish with sliced green onion. These work as a complete meal on their own or alongside a bowl of chili. The chipotle-maple combination hits every note - smoky, spicy, and just sweet enough from the potato.
Tip
For a more intense flavor, use a broiler for the last 2-3 minutes to get the cheese really browned and crispy on top.
Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into roughly equal-sized chunks and slice the onion. Add everything to a baking dish and toss with olive oil, a quarter cup of amaretto, several sprigs of fresh thyme (dried works if that's what you have), salt, and pepper. Make sure everything is well coated. Cover tightly with foil and bake for about 30 minutes, then uncover to let the edges brown and caramelize.
Tip
Fresh thyme holds up much better than dried here. If you only have dried, use about a third of the amount and crumble it between your fingers to release the oils before adding.
Right before serving, scatter a handful of sliced toasted almonds over the top. The potatoes come out tender and lightly glazed from the amaretto liquid. They're not super crispy-roasted because they cook covered for most of the time, but the almonds provide the crunch and reinforce the almond flavor from the liqueur. This one works especially well if your family usually does candied yams - it's in the same direction but with a lot more going on.
Tip
Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat for 2-3 minutes before adding them. They go from pale to brown quickly, so watch them closely.
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Quick reference
5 questions, answers, and one-line explanations. Tap to expand.
1.Do you peel sweet potatoes before baking them whole?
Answer: No, you bake them in the skin
The skin holds in moisture and slips off easily once they're soft.
2.At what temperature do you bake the whole potatoes for the souffle?
Answer: 400 degrees Fahrenheit
400F cooks them through to soft in about 45 to 60 minutes.
3.Why start the bacon in a cold pan?
Answer: So the fat renders out slowly
A cold start melts the fat gradually for crispier bacon.
4.What does the flour do in the streusel topping?
Answer: Keeps the crumbs separate and crumbly
The flour gives the streusel its loose texture instead of a paste.
5.What gives the amaretto sweet potatoes their light glaze?
Answer: The amaretto they cook in
They cook covered in amaretto, which reduces down into a light glaze.
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