ROASTED SWEET POTATOES

Serves 4 We don’t know why sweet potatoes aren’t even more loved than white potatoes. They are so much cooler! First, they taste better. Second, they’re bright orange! Who doesn’t love orange food? We eat orange foods like sweet potatoes, carrots, and pumpkins because they’re full of beta-carotene and other vitamins and minerals to help our bodies stay healthy and strong. We like to use sweet potatoes in a lot of our recipes because they’re tasty, but we think you’ll especially love them this way because it’s like having dessert for dinner! INGREDIENTS • 4 medium sweet potatoes • melted coconut oil • unrefined granulated sugar INSTRUCTIONS AND HOW KIDS CAN HELP 1. Wash potatoes thoroughly. 2. With fork, poke 8–10 holes into flesh of potato. 3. Wrap potato with single layer of aluminum foil. 4. Roast directly on the oven rack at 350 degrees for 40 minutes, or until tender. You can also use an outdoor grill, cook over medium indirect heat. 5. Carefully unwrap cooked potato. 6. Serve with a drizzle of coconut oil and a sprinkle of palm sugar.  

More Recipes You'll Love

• St. Patrick’s Smoked Shoulder
• Prosciutto-Hugged Holiday Chicken
• BRAISED SAVOY CABBAGE

Roasted sweet potatoes cooked right on the oven rack — or out on the grill — taste almost like dessert for dinner. Bright orange, full of beta-carotene, and finished with a drizzle of coconut oil and a sprinkle of unrefined sugar. Our kids pick them over white potatoes every single time.

Pro Tips

• Poke 8 to 10 fork holes in each washed potato so steam escapes while it roasts in its foil wrap.
• Wrap each potato in a single layer of foil and roast directly on the rack at 350°F for about 40 minutes, until a fork slides in easily.
• Grill night? Cook the wrapped potatoes over medium indirect heat instead — same result, no oven heat in the kitchen.
• Add the coconut oil drizzle and unrefined sugar only after unwrapping, while the flesh is still steaming hot, so they melt straight in.
• Scrub the skins thoroughly; they're worth eating and scrubbing is all the prep this needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to wrap sweet potatoes in foil?

Yes — the single foil layer holds in moisture so the flesh steams creamy while the potato sits directly on the oven rack or grill.

Can I make roasted sweet potatoes on the grill?

Absolutely — wrap them the same way and cook over medium indirect heat until fork-tender, in roughly the same time as the oven.

Why add sugar to sweet potatoes?

Just a sprinkle of unrefined granulated sugar with the coconut oil plays up their natural sweetness — that's what makes it feel like dessert for dinner.

How do I know when they're done?

After about 40 minutes at 350°F a fork should slide easily to the center; unwrap carefully, because steam escapes fast.

Recipe Card