Sweet potato dishes have become a classic part of the American Thanksgiving Day dinner, although they weren’t introduced to North America until decades after the original 1621 feast.
Originally cultivated in South America, the sweet potato was first brought to Europe in the 1500s. It was likely the mid to late 1600s by the time the sweet potato began making its way into North American agriculture and the American kitchen, eventually becoming a favorite Thanksgiving dish.
Sweet potatoes are rich in fiber, potassium, vitamin A (as beta carotene), vitamin B6, and vitamin C. They are also high in copper, niacin, and potassium, while lower in calories and carbohydrates than white potatoes.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, one cooked sweet potato contains:
- 162 calories
- 3.62 grams of protein
- .27 grams of fat
- 3 grams of carbohydrates
- 94 grams of fiber
- 4 mg of calcium
- 6 mg of magnesium
- 855 mg of potassium
- 8 mg of sodium
- 3 mg of Vitamin C
- .515 mg of Vitamin B6
- 28 mg of Vitamin E
- 19200 international units of Vitamin A
That’s a lot of vitamin A! In fact, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, a cooked sweet potato provides more than 100 percent of the daily value of this vitamin for adults.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest, which publishes the newsletter Nutrition Action, has ranked the sweet potato as the healthiest of all vegetables, beating out even nutrition powerhouses spinach, kale, and broccoli.
These original, home-kitchen-tested recipes incorporate traditional American autumn ingredients such as brown sugar, cinnamon, rosemary, and apple to complement the sweet potato’s rich, smoky flavor.
Sweet Potato, Brown Sugar, and Apple Butter Pie
This recipe uses only one-half cup of brown sugar rather than the full cup of granulated sugar called for in standard recipes. It also calls for a half cup of apple butter, rather than applesauce (used in the loaf recipe below), since apple butter has a smoother texture more suitable for pie.
Ingredients:
1 prepared pie crust, brought to room temperature
2 cups sweet potatoes, cooked and mashed (about 3 potatoes)
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup apple butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp nutmeg
Dash salt
Instructions:
Heat oven to 375 F.
Place pie crust in 9-in. glass pie plate.
Combine remaining ingredients and pour into crust.
If mixture is lumpy, blend with a hand mixer for 1 minute.
Bake for 1 hr or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
Savory Sweet Potato and Herb Casserole
Ingredients:
4 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and large dice-cut (about 3 sweet potatoes)
2 small onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1/3 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
½ tsp rosemary
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbs fresh parsley, chopped
2 Tbs butter
Instructions:
Heat oven to 375 F.
Place potatoes, onions, and garlic in an 8-in. casserole dish and toss with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.
In a separate bowl, combine bread crumbs, ½ cup parmesan cheese, rosemary, oregano, and parsley.
Combine bread crumb and cheese mixture into potato mixture.
Top with remaining parmesan cheese and dot with butter.
Bake, covered, for about 50 minutes or until sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
Sweet Potato and Apple Bread
This recipe uses half the amount of sugar that is usually called for and the sweetness is supplemented with applesauce. For even less sugar content and still a deliciously sweet option, try using unsweetened applesauce.
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
½ cup raw or brown sugar
1 tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
½ tsp cloves
½ tsp salt
½ cup applesauce
1 Tbs olive oil
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 cup cooked sweet potatoes, mashed
1 cup apple, diced
Instructions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Grease bottom of 8 x 4 in loaf pan.
Combine flour, baking soda, sugar, spices, and salt.
Stir in applesauce, olive oil, eggs, sweet potatoes, and apples.
Pour mixture into loaf pan.
Bake for approximately 1 hr and 10 minutes or until knife inserted in center comes out clean.
You can find more fall recipes from Susan Olmstead’s kitchen here and here.