Have you ever had Japanese sweet potatoes? I didn’t know what they were until they showed up in my CSA bag one week. I mentioned them quickly in a weekly menu post previously, but I would like to talk about them a bit more and share how to make roasted Japanese sweet potatoes, which are pretty much heaven on a plate.

What are Japanese Sweet Potatoes?

So what are Japanese sweet potatoes anyway? Apparently Olivia Munn thinks they are the fountain of youth. I just think they are a super healthy, crazy delicious tuber that you should definitely buy if you ever see them at the store or as an option in your CSA. They are a sweet potato with brown or red skin and whitish flesh that turns yellow upon cooking. We found Japanese sweet potatoes to have a buttery, almost squash-like flavor that is divine and their texture is a little bit different than other sweet potatoes. We like to roast Japanese sweet potatoes, cut them in half and top with butter, salt and pepper. Simple, healthy and delicious. (Click here to read more about the history and origin of Japanese sweet potatoes, it’s pretty interesting!)

What do you do with Japanese Sweet Potatoes?

Once I discovered how delicious Japanese sweet potatoes are, I ordered a whole bunch from my CSA. To preserve them I  roasted all of the sweet potatoes at once, placed in freezer bags after they cooled and then stored them in the freezer. I don’t know about you, but one of my major barriers to eating sweet potatoes is remembering to start cooking them early enough to actually have them done by dinnertime. Which is why I’m super excited to have a whole bunch already cooked and ready to go in the freezer. As long as I remember to defrost them when we need them, I think we should be good to go!

The process for roasting them is super simple, but I will share the “recipe” below so you can replicate how we cooked them (and so I can remember what I did myself!). Seriously, if you ever see these at your market, grab a few and give them a try. Nate and I really love them, but they are kind of hard to find.

Roasted Japanese Sweet Potatoes

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 5 mins

 

Author: Jane Maynard

Cuisine: Side Dish

Ingredients

• Japanese sweet potatoes (as many as you want to eat!)
• Butter or olive oil or coconut oil
• Salt and pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400º F.
2. Wash Japanese sweet potatoes then poke them with a fork in several places.
3. Place prepared sweet potatoes on a rimmed cookie sheet or roasting pan. place on a cookie sheet or roasting pan. Cook for approximately 1 hour, until knife pierces sweet potatoes easily.
4. Cut open, drizzle with butter (or olive oil or coconut oil if you want to keep things vegan and dairy free!), salt and pepper and enjoy!

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OTHER RECIPES YOU MAY LIKE:

• Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos
• Sweet Potato and Bacon Pizza
• Sweet Potato Souffle

EQUIPMENT I USED TO MAKE THIS RECIPE:

• Aluminum Half Sheet Pan
• Le Creuset Butter Crock