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Prep time
7 minutes
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Cook time
50 minutes
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Serves
3
Author Notes
Potatoes are most likely the world’s most versatile vegetable, and definitely one of my favorite discussion topics. They can be deep fried in strips, curls, or waffles, mashed into a savory dish, or baked to absolute perfection. Ask someone their top three favorite potato styles and I think you’ll learn a lot about them. Between the holidays of Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas, potatoes really have their moment to shine with plenty of side dishes galore.
Sweet potatoes, aka nature’s best candy, are one of my favorite potato varieties. Even just baked and served on their own without toppings, these orange delights are packed with flavor. With this recipe, however, I decided to elevate the baked sweet potato with a tasty autumnal makeover.
Perfect for the fall and winter months, I topped this sweet potato with a creamy and buttery cinnamon whipped goat cheese, also blended with greek yogurt and honey. The combination almost tastes like a sweet and savory pie filling, and can easily be served as dessert if that's what your heart desires. The tangy, creamy chèvre, gooey honey, and smooth greek yogurt generously melt over the hot potato right out of the oven, making for a decadent treat.
To add more crunchy textures and to balance out the tasting notes, I finished the potato with toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, and fresh, herbaceous thyme to complete the creation. Serve immediately out of the oven for best results, and don’t be afraid to go back for seconds (or even thirds)!
—Marissa Mullen
Ingredients
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3
medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
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2 tablespoons
extra-virgin olive oil
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1 teaspoon
flaky sea salt, divided
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4 ounces
goat cheese (at room temperature)
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2 tablespoons
greek yogurt
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1 teaspoon
apple cider vinegar
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2 tablespoons
honey
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1 teaspoon
cinnamon
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1/4 cup
toasted walnuts, roughly chopped
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1/4 cup
dried cranberries
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1 bunch
fresh thyme, to garnish
Directions
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Heat oven to 425°F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. With a fork, poke holes in each sweet potato, cover with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and ¾ teaspoon salt. Bake for 45-50 minutes, until the skin is crispy and the interior is soft. Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the topping. In a food processor, or in a medium bowl using a whisk, combine goat cheese, greek yogurt, vinegar, honey, remaining olive oil, cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon salt until smooth.
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Slice the cooled sweet potatoes halfway through lengthwise (leaving space at the bottom without cutting all the way through). Top with goat cheese mixture, walnuts, cranberries, and fresh thyme. Serve immediately.
Marissa Mullen is a Brooklyn-based food stylist, recipe developer, photographer and cheese lover. She is the founder of That Cheese Plate and creator of the Cheese By Numbers method. She is also the author of the best-selling cookbook, That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life, a step-by-step styling guide for crafting beautiful and delicious cheese plates as a form of creative expression. Featured on The Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Business Insider, Vox among others, Marissa is dedicated to bringing people together through creativity, food and entertainment.
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