50 Sweet Potato Recipes You'll Swear By

The sweet potato is probably one of the most underrated ingredients in your kitchen. Not only is it healthy and chock-full of nutrients, it’s perfect for any meal of the day—and tastes great. That’s a win-win-win! (And, don't even get us started on how easy it is to grow sweet potatoes at home!) Whether you’re wondering how to bake sweet potatoes in the oven, want a few great ideas for stuffing your spuds full of toppings or just need some healthy sweet potato recipes, these ideas will help. Not sure where to start? We like Guy’s take; he adds a bit of whiskey to a mixture of sweet potatoes and apples for a super-flavorful fall side.

There are many advantages to baking sweet potatoes in an air fryer: It’s quicker than an oven (no preheating!) and the circulating hot air yields a perfectly crisp exterior and silky, creamy interior. We topped each potato simply with a pat of butter and some chopped fresh chives, but you can add any of your favorite toppings (mini marshmallows included).

This recipe puts a little twist on the classic potato gnocchi using sweet potato instead. I love its natural sweetness and beautiful color. I then coat the pillowy pieces with a rich, nutty and salty brown butter. (I felt that tomato sauce might be a bit too acidic and mask the sweetness.) To top it all off: crispy nuggets of pancetta and fried sage leaves.

Sweet potatoes are in the same family as other potatoes but cooking them requires a different approach to get the fluffy interior and sweet caramelized flavor we all love. After testing several techniques—wrapping in foil, pricking and not pricking, using a roasting pan—we found the following method delivered on all fronts, with minimal effort. Pricking with a fork allows steam to release and the potato flesh to separate from the skin, something that didn't always happen otherwise. Baking the potatoes on a wire rack nested in a baking sheet also helped the potatoes cook more evenly (and made cleaning up much easier). Lastly, allowing the potatoes to rest in the turned-off oven for 30 minutes after baking allowed the flavors to develop even further, though you can skip this step if you are short on time.