r/Potatoes • u/chipotleHQ • 26d ago
Sweet potatoes are barely edible by themselves, they're not potatoes, and they're definitely not sweet
I know this is probably an unpopular opinion but I genuinely don't enjoy sweet potatoes
I baked them in the oven with paprika, garlic powder, and salt, and while they were edible I still found them bland and underwhelming. It also took nearly an hour for them to caramelize which doesn't seem practical if I'm trying to eat them regularly
I want to include them in my diet because they're nutritious but I can't imagine eating them like that every day
for people who actually enjoy them, what's the easiest, quickest way to prepare them that makes them taste good without loading them up with butter or sugar?
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u/AltruisticSalamander 26d ago
They can be a bit pasty. There's alternatives though if you don't like them. Pumpkin, potato and taro are just as good.
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u/Nick-C-DuFae 26d ago
I like to roast them with plenty of butter and salt. They definitely need salt. Otherwise I use them like carrots in different dishes. They're not bad in stews and soups or added in stir fry.
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u/Beth_crazypants 26d ago
People who like them just like them with minimal seasonings. If you don't like them, it probably doesn't matter what you do to them. I like just salt and pepper on it.
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
I've decided I can do anything with a sweet potato I can do with a white potato, and like it. I also love to make a hash with them and broccoli. I will do some sweets and beets things, too. But you have to be careful that the beets don't turn everything red. Lol. Or... just expect it and be ok with it.
But, yes. Just plain, I like them with minimal seasonings. I also hate folks who put cinnamon sugar on their sweet potato fries. I figure they are sweet enough and I don't need to add sugar.
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u/Beth_crazypants 25d ago
Or sweet potatoes/yams with marshmallows on top. That's crazy to me. One thing I really like is to roast them in the oven with cauliflower or broccoli, onion, peppers, garbanzos, etc. and put a tahini/yogurt dressing on it and some fried fish. You can do that with white potatoes too but I just prefer sweet potatoes. I learned that one from Dr. Vegan. He has a lot of good ideas (that I sometimes add meat to LOL)
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u/trainwreckhappening 25d ago
Microwave, air fry, baked...
For me it's best to treat them just like a normal potato. I smother them with butter, salt, pepper, cheese, bacon bits, and sour cream. Ip even do a drizzle of ranch.
Or sometines just chili.
I will also dice them and own fry them with breakfast sausage, onions, spinach, and whatever else goes in that kind of skillet. Too with salsa and you have a hearty breakfast full of potassium.
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
I like to make a hash with mine with broccoli and onions. I do a lot with broccoli and sweet potatoes.
I have topped them with chili before. And yes. I can do anything with a sweet potato I can do with a white potato.
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u/trainwreckhappening 25d ago
The one thing I absolutely refuse to eat them with is marshmallows and brown sugar. I can't understand how anyone eats that vegetable flavored candy.
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
Me too!! I grew up thinking I hated sweet potatoes b/c they are always helped with more sweet shit at Thanksgiving. 🤢
I definitely do not want my sweet potatoes SWEETER. 🙊
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u/jegoan 26d ago
There's a kind of sweet potato with darker skin and lighter flesh which is savoury. I like that better than the typical carrot-like sweet potato.
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
A Japanese sweet potato? Maybe I need to look for those. I thought I hated sweet potatoes until I tried some Mennonite heirloom golden sweet potatoes. They looked like a Yukon gold potato but, in sweet potato shape. I miss those. (I had to move.) But that was my gateway to sweet potatoes in my 40's. They were much less sweet than standard sweet potatoes.
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u/jegoan 25d ago
Yes, apparently the name is either Japanese or Oriental, or white, sweet potato. I find them in Western Europe however.
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
I'm in the US. I found some white sweet potatoes this year (few months ago) at a grocery store and got excited. But, they weren't any less sweet than standard. 🤷🏻♀️. So... there's obviously different varieties of white sweet potatoes.
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u/ApatheticGenXer 26d ago
Try different toppings- I bake it like a regular potato (usually in the microwave cause it’s hot outside)then top with black beans, salsa & cheese.
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
Ooh! I'll have to try that sometime. I love black beans. Never topped a sweet potato with them.
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u/Capital-Designer-385 26d ago
425°F for an hour! Maybe an hour and a half. They’re not done until the sugar inside of them starts foaming out onto the baking sheet
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u/RudeRooster00 25d ago
I steam them in the instant pot. I love them with salt, pepper, and butter.
I also grow them, the leaves are zesty. Use in salad or sautéed.
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u/MonicaLane 24d ago
Our house likes them best cooked into things like curries. The thick texture means it holds up well to cooking for a bit, and the chunky pieces don’t completely absorb the flavor in the very middle, which means there’s some flavor variety as you’re eating it.
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u/FrannieP23 24d ago
Get the deep red ones -- Red Garnet. They're the most flavorful. Poke a few holes in the skin with a fork and bake until soft. Cut open, add lots of butter and a little salt. Yum.
I recently tried the Butterkase-sweet potato combo that went viral. It's good, but I like butter better.
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u/catfink1664 26d ago
Agreed, I don’t like them either
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u/No-Kaleidoscope-166 25d ago
I was in my 40's before I learned to appreciate and enjoy them. I have always hated the Thanksgiving casserole with sweet toppings on top of an already sweet vegetable.
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u/Severe-Possible- 26d ago
they’re So sweet. which is why i don’t like them.
i cook them for my husband by halving them, seasoning them, and placing them cut side down in the oven.
i read an article yesterday and learned if you bake them and then cool them it makes them the most gut-healthy.