Baked sweet potato with chopped scallions on a green plate on a wooden table.

Sweet potatoes are easy to make and love

Baking sweet potatoes brings out their caramelized flavors — and you can keep it simple or get creative when choosing from an array of toppings.

Baked sweet potato with chopped scallions on a green plate on a wooden table.
Sweet potatoes are easy to make and love

Sweet potatoes are versatile and complement a variety of dishes and recipes, including quesadillas and fries. They can even be incorporated into hearty soup recipes such as lentil soup with sweet potatoes and kale.

Or a simple baked sweet potato is both delicious and incredibly easy.

Servings: 4

Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 block of extra firm tofu
  • Kernels from 1 ear of cooked corn
  • 1 15-ounce can low-sodium black beans
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 2 teaspoons reduced-sodium taco seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 large red bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 large green bell pepper, diced
  • 1/2 lime, juiced
  • 2 tablespoons cilantro
  • Black pepper to taste

Orientaciones

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
  2. For easy baked sweet potatoes, wash and dry well and pierce your sweet potato with a fork several times. If you prefer a moist potato, wrap the sweet potato completely in heavy duty foil. If you prefer a drier, crisper skin, leave unwrapped, but make sure you have foil underneath the sweet potato. Otherwise, you will have to scrub burnt sweet potato drippings off of your oven surfaces.
  3. Bake for 45 to 75 minutes until caramelized and sweet. The length of time needed is determined in part by the size of the sweet potato and in part by your own personal preference. The longer the potatoes bake, the more the sweet, caramel flavors will develop. You’ll know they are done when they are soft and oozing syrup. If you’ve baked your sweet potato unwrapped, you can test for doneness with a knife or fork. You shouldn’t get any resistance all the way through to the middle. If your potatoes are wrapped, try squeezing gently with an oven mitt-protected hand to check for softness.
  4. Handle with care when removing from the oven and unwrapping the foil. If you don't wait for it to cool sufficiently, the sweet potato packet can leak molten syrup.
  5. Once unwrapped, slice down the middle. Filling a baked sweet potato is up to your own taste and imagination.
  6. One delicious option is to whisk together a scant teaspoon of sesame oil with a tablespoon of orange or tangerine juice and some freshly grated ginger. Mix in with the sweet potato flesh and top with thinly sliced scallions.
  7. Pair with a green salad or sautéed greens and a lean protein and you have a complete and filling meal.

    Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 207
  • Total fat: 6.5 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 182 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 25 g
  • Dietary fiber: 7 g
  • Protein: 16 g