YOUR NEW GO-TO SIDE DISH: ONE PAN SWEET POTATOES WITH GARLIC, LEMON, AND PARSLEY

I am someone in the camp that considers sweet potatoes, “just fine”… I never crave them nor are they on the top of my list to order at a restaurant. SO, for me to say that these are DAMN good, is saying something. These I crave. These I might actually order at a restaurant. The best thing about them is that they are so easy they fit perfectly in a regular weeknight dinner lineup but taste so good that they would definitely impress guests. You can totally make them with regular potatoes too (I would suggest a gold variety or red skin) if that’s more your jam. It’s usually mine!

You will need:
3 Medium-Large sweet potatoes (I highly recommend the hannah variety-with the white flesh)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

2 lemons (zest of one, juice of both)
4 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
1/3 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley plus extra for garnish (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp salt
A pinch of Aleppo pepper (or chili flake) *optional

Preheat your oven to 375 F.
In a small bowl combine your lemon, garlic, parsley, salt, and chili pepper. Stir and set aside.

Dice sweet potatoes into bite size cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and distribute evenly over a large sheet pan. You want them to lay flat with a little wiggle room so use two pans if needed. Bake at 375 F until golden brown, stirring ever so often to make sure all sides are browned. About 15-20 min.

Once your potatoes are golden and crispy remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 325 F. Spoon your lemon, garlic mixture evenly over the top of your potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Place pan(s) back in the oven and let bake for another 5-10 min until the mixture is nicely warmed through and most of the moisture from the lemon has evaporated, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Remove from the oven. *I let them sit for just a bit once I they are done (if I have more things to cook I let them hang out in the oven with the heat turned off until I am ready). This seems to help the flavors to mellow out and blend together. When you are ready to eat: taste them, adding salt if needed and a little fresh green parsley for appearance’s sake and enjoy!

Condensed

You will need:
3 Medium size sweet potatoes (I highly recommend the hannah variety-with the white flesh)
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper

2 lemons (zest of one, juice of both)
4 cloves of garlic (finely minced)
1/3 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley plus extra for garnish (finely chopped)
1/2 tsp salt
A pinch of Aleppo pepper (or chili flake) *optional

Preheat your oven to 375 F.
In a small bowl combine your lemon, garlic, parsley, salt, and chili pepper. Stir and set aside.

Dice sweet potatoes into bite size cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper and distribute evenly over a large sheet pan. You want them to lay flat with a little wiggle room so use two pans if needed. Bake at 375 F until golden brown, stirring ever so often to make sure all sides are browned. About 15-20 min.

Once your potatoes are golden and crispy remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 325 F. Spoon your lemon, garlic mixture evenly over the top of your potatoes and stir to coat evenly. Place pan(s) back in the oven and let bake for another 5-10 min until the mixture is nicely warmed through and most of the moisture from the lemon has evaporated, being careful not to let the garlic burn. Remove from the oven. *I let them sit for just a bit once I they are done (if I have more things to cook I let them hang out in the oven with the heat turned off until I am ready). This seems to help the flavors to mellow out and blend together. When you are ready to eat: taste them, adding salt if needed and a little fresh green parsley for appearance’s sake and enjoy!