Who out there loves countdowns? Because I feel like fall is full of them. Countdowns to Thanksgiving. Countdowns to Christmas. Countdowns to seeing your favorite people. And at any point in time, we’re all about an hour away from Smashed Sweet Potato, the kind of dinner you make when you’re too excited about everything else in your life to be bothered with cooking an involved meal. And this smashed sweet potato really quenches any craving you may be having. Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, sweet but salty, cheesy, herby, and the perfect outlet for any pent up excitement you may need to let out in the form of SMASHING!
Here’s what you’ll need
Sweet Potatoes: You’ll need 6 small sweet potatoes, which we’ll boil until tender, smash flat, then bake into crispy perfection. Grapes: Roasted grapes provide a juicy, sweet element that goes perfectly with the rest of the ingredients! This is one of my favorite ways to use grapes!Goat Cheese: Tangy goat cheese helps to balance out the sweet flavors we have going on. Feel free to use feta cheese instead if you’re not a goat cheese fan.Thyme: Bring an herby element with fresh thyme! You can also use rosemary here for even more flavor.Olive Oil: Use olive oil to help make the sweet potatoes crispy while cooking.Salt and Pepper: Finish it off with a sprinkle of salt and pepper to bring out all the flavors we’ve got going in these potatoes.
How to make smashed potatoes
Step 1: BoilBring a large pot of water to a boil then add in the sweet potatoes, leaving the skin on (vitamins and fiber!). Boil for about 25 minutes, or until fork tender. Step 2: Prep PotatoesPreheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Place potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet and cut three or so shallow slits in the tops of each. With the flat edge of a chef’s knife (or a spatula…anything flat!), gently smash each sweet potato so it’s about an inch thick. Brush olive oil over all the potatoes and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and pepper. Step 3: Prep GrapesPlace grapes on a parchment-lined rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with remaining olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Step 4: BakePlace pans side by side in the oven. Bake potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until edges begin to brown and crisp. Bake grapes for about 15 minutes, jostling the pan occasionally, until skins begin to blister and pop open. Step 5: AssembleTop each potato with crumbled up goat cheese, a drizzle of honey, a spoonful of roasted grapes, and thyme leaves! Serve warm with love.
Change it up!
This recipe is ultra-adaptable to your taste preferences (or whatever you might have in the pantry). Here are some ways you can change it up.
Different Herbs: You can use many herbs here in place of (or in addition to) the thyme. Rosemary or oregano would be great!Different Cheese: Not a fan of funky goat cheese? Replace it with the more mild feta cheese, or omit the cheese all together to make this recipe vegan!Use White Potatoes: White potatoes also make great smashers, though I would also change up the toppings. Here are our Smashed Potatoes with Pesto!Different Fruit: Grapes and rosemary give this dish a Mediterranean touch, but you could also change the flavor profile by using cranberry sauce and pepitas (like we do in this Loaded Sweet Potato Rounds recipe)!
Hungry for more cool weather recipes?
This recipe is so cozy as a main or side dish on those cooler days of the year. Here’s what else we serve on those days!
Pumpkin Pasta, an easy way to change up your fall pasta routine!Butternut Squash Risotto (there is nothing cozier than this + couch + Netflix, change my mind).Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad, which is basically a party on a plate with all the best ingredients of fall.Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, the Tex Mex counterpart to this recipe!Slow Cooker Stuffed Apples for an A+ dessert.
