Sweet Potato Recipes

You gotta love a vegetable that can sit next to a burger as fries and then turn up in pie for dessert! Sweet potatoes are so much more than a Thanksgiving side, and they earn their place in my kitchen all year long. You can roast them until caramelized, blend them into silky soup, or use them to stretch a skillet dinner a little further. I’ve gathered 13 easy sweet potato recipes that put this affordable, filling ingredient to work, with a few holiday favorites for good measure! If you’ve got regular potatoes to use up, don’t miss our potato recipes roundup for even more ideas.

Classic Sweet Potato Recipes

Some days I want to make something cozy from scratch; other days, I want dinner to involve little more than a sheet pan and some salt. These classics cover both, with creamy soup, simple baked potatoes, fries, and a few sweeter options in the mix.

1. Baked Sweet Potatoes

Sometimes, butter, salt, and pepper are all a baked sweet potato needs. But I also love how easy it is to dress one up with black beans, leftover chili, or whatever needs using in the fridge. They’re filling, inexpensive, and take just five minutes of hands-on prep. Short on time? Partially cooking them in the microwave before baking can cut the oven time down considerably.

2. Sweet Potato Soup

I’m all for a quick stovetop soup, but roasting the sweet potatoes first is worth the extra step in this creamy sweet potato soup. It brings out their natural sweetness, which pairs well with the cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, and a little cayenne. Everything gets blended until silky smooth and finished with a splash of heavy cream (coconut milk works too!). At around $1.47 per serving, this is some seriously affordable comfort food.

3. Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Three ingredients and a hot sheet pan. That’s all you need for these beautifully caramelized roasted sweet potatoes! I preheat the baking sheet to give the cubes a head start on browning, then roast them until the edges are golden and the centers are soft and creamy. No parboiling, no complicated seasonings, and just $0.66 per serving. They’re delicious straight from the oven, but I also like adding leftovers to salads and grain bowls.

4. Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries

I always appreciate a side dish that only needs a few ingredients and doesn’t take over the oven. These air fryer sweet potato fries are tossed with olive oil and Creole seasoning for a sweet, salty, slightly spicy flavor that goes really well with burgers and sandwiches. They’re thicker and more tender than traditional fries rather than super crispy, but that makes them especially good for dipping into a little creamy comeback sauce.

5. Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

A regular baked sweet potato is delicious, but sometimes you want to dress things up a little. For these twice-baked sweet potatoes, scoop out the fluffy insides and mash them with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla before putting them back in their skins and topping with marshmallows and homemade candied pecans. My advice? Make the pecans ahead so there’s one less thing to do when you’re ready to serve.

6. Sweet Potato Hash

This sweet potato hash brings together diced sweet potatoes, savory breakfast sausage, peppers, and onions in one hearty skillet. It’s delicious with a fried egg on top, but there’s plenty here to make a satisfying breakfast or brunch on its own. You get six servings from one skillet, making this a handy recipe for feeding a crowd or getting ahead on breakfasts for the week.

Hearty and Budget-Friendly Dinners

Sweet potatoes make a very convincing case for stretching dinner, especially when they’re paired with beans, pasta, or ground meat. These three meals have enough going on to stand alone, with plenty of savory spices to balance out the potatoes’ natural sweetness.

7. Sweet Potato Ground Turkey Skillet

Ground turkey gets a serious flavor upgrade in this sweet potato and ground turkey skillet! Thyme, sage, and smoked paprika season the turkey and vegetables, while orzo cooks right in the same pan, soaking up the flavorful broth. A handful of kale and some Parmesan finish things off, giving you four generous servings in about 40 minutes. I particularly appreciate that the pasta cooks alongside everything else (saving another pot from the washing up!)

8. Sweet Potato Black Bean Skillet

This sweet potato black bean skillet is a hearty, naturally vegan dinner that comes together in about 25 minutes. The sweet potatoes are browned in the skillet to bring out their natural sweetness, then combined with black beans, bell pepper, kale, tomatoes, and a smoky blend of spices. I like serving this over rice to make it even more filling, and the leftovers are ideal for meal prep!

9. Sweet Potato Chili

There’s a very good reason this sweet potato chili doesn’t need a long list of seasonings. Mexican chorizo already brings plenty of smoky, spicy flavor to the pot! Tender sweet potatoes balance that heat, while inexpensive canned beans help turn it into six filling servings on a budget. Add your favorite chili toppings, grab some tortilla chips, and dinner is sorted. Leftovers freeze well, too.

Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Favorites

I have a soft spot for the classics at Thanksgiving, and sweet potatoes are responsible for some of the best ones. This little lineup includes a crunchy-topped casserole, a creamy homemade pie, and two delicious breads worth making room for. Better still, they all use familiar ingredients and won’t send your holiday grocery bill through the roof.

10. Sweet Potato Casserole

I’m not saying a crunchy pecan streusel is better than marshmallows, but it makes a pretty strong case! Underneath that buttery topping, this sweet potato casserole has a fluffy, lightly spiced filling made with mashed sweet potatoes, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar. It makes eight servings for less than a dollar each, which is pretty impressive for a classic Thanksgiving side dish. And you only need about 40 minutes from start to finish!

11. Sweet Potato Pie

If you’re looking for an affordable homemade dessert to finish your Thanksgiving meal, don’t overlook sweet potato pie. Baking the sweet potatoes first gives the creamy custard filling a deeper, slightly caramelized flavor, while cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla add that familiar holiday warmth. A store-bought pie crust keeps things manageable, and you can make the whole pie ahead of time to free up the oven on Thanksgiving Day.

12. Sweet Potato Cornbread

A hot cast-iron skillet gives this sweet potato cornbread a beautifully browned crust, while mashed sweet potatoes and sour cream keep the inside rich and moist. It’s thicker and a little sweeter than everyday cornbread, with cinnamon and nutmeg adding just enough warmth without turning it into cake. I think it’s especially delicious served warm with butter.

13. Sweet Potato Biscuits

I can make a pretty convincing argument for serving homemade biscuits at any meal, but especially Thanksgiving! Adding mashed sweet potato to the dough gives these sweet potato biscuits a lovely orange color, a subtle sweetness, and a wonderfully soft & tender texture. You can even microwave the sweet potato to save time!

The post Sweet Potato Recipes appeared first on Budget Bytes.