Do you have to poke sweet potatoes before baking?

1) Always poke a few holes . Before baking, use a fork to prick each sweet potato several times. You don't need to jab the fork in deep. We're creating steam vents. Otherwise the pressure in the sweet potato could build up so high in the oven that it explodes—an unlikely possibility but one best avoided!

What makes sweet potato sticky?

Starch is a complex carbohydrate that's abundant in our sweet potato flesh. When we're heated, the starch granules absorb water and swell up, releasing a sticky substance known as amylopectin. Think of amylopectin as our sweet potato glue—it's what gives us that creamy, velvety texture when mashed or baked.

Why do you need to soak sweet potatoes before cooking?

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy .

Is it better to wrap sweet potatoes in foil when baking?

Wrapping sweet potatoes in foil helps in a few ways. It prevents the exterior of the tuber from drying out and overheating too quickly, which would minimize enzymatic activity; it also results in a more evenly cooked texture .

What happens if you don't poke holes in sweet potatoes?

Do you have to poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking? Typically holes are poked into a sweet potato to prevent a potato exploding in your oven. However, the chance of that happening is low, and according to Lifehacker, sweet potatoes will retain more flavor if you don't poke them.

Can you bake potatoes without pricking them?

Rumor has it that an un-pricked spud will explode in the oven—but in all actuality, that's unlikely . Conventional wisdom says that when you bake a potato, you have to prick it with a fork all over a few times, piercing the skin to allow steam to release.

Should sweet potatoes be peeled before baking?

Are sweet potato skins edible? Yes—and you should definitely eat them. Removing the skins removes some of the nutrients from the potato, so don't peel them if you're making healthy sweet potato recipes . The skin also helps the inside stay moist as the potato cooks.

Do sweet potatoes need to be pricked?

The pricking technique is always used when baking russet or sweet potatoes —the holes help to reduce baking time and ensure the potatoes won't burst during the long bake time by providing steam vents. Depending on your preference, you may or may not want to eat the skins too.

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe (2024)

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Sugar and spice and everything nice…that’s what this Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers recipe is made of! An easy side dish, perfect for fall.

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When I wasa new mom and wife,sweet potatoes were cooked in my kitchen only one time per year: Thanksgiving. And, it was almost alwayscanned sweet potatoes (or yams). Let’s just say thatI was oddly intimated by fresh sweet potatoes.

When I made sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving, it was always a “classic” sweet potato casserole, topped with marshmallows. My husband and I would enjoy it. But the kids? It wasn’t their thing. There was always a ton of leftovers, and I figured that my kids just didn’t like sweet potatoes. But, did that stop me? Nope. I continued to make them most years, citing that it wasa tradition.

But, over the last several years, I learned that my kids actually DO like sweet potatoes. They just didn’t like MYsweet potato casserole. I figured this out byoccasionally working them into other meals over the years. They love sweet potato fries (even opting for them over regular fries at restaurants) and one of their favoritefall dinnershas been our DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar.

They also enjoy my Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa and Kale (although one of the kids prefers it without the blue cheese). And I’ve even started serving a much better sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving that they LOVE and insist that I have to make more of it this year. And, yeah, it has no marshmallows on top.

But, when it comes to all the ways I’ve cooked with sweet potatoes, this Spiced Sweet Potato Skewers recipeis their winner.

Of course, what’s not to like? It includesbacon and sugar. The kids love it, I love it, and David goes CRAZY for them. They’re almost too good, so enjoy in moderation.

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe

★★★★★5 from 1 review

Author: Brandie Valenzuela

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Description

Sugar and spice and everything nice…that’s what this Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers recipe is made of! An easy side dish, perfect for fall.

Ingredients

Scale

2 pounds sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 1/2″ chunks)
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound sliced bacon
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

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Instructions

Place oven-safe cooking racks on top of a large rimmed baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Place cut sweet potatoes in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine. Set aside.
Without separating bacon slices into individual pieces, cut entire slab of bacon slices into fourths (when laying horizontally in front of you). This is easiest by cutting slab in half and then cutting each of those portions in half again.
In a small bowl, combine sugars and spices. Pour spiced sugar mixture onto a large, rimmed baking sheet.
With metal skewer, slide on a chunk of sweet potato, then 1 small piece of bacon (which is 1/4th of a bacon slice) that has been folded in half (or smaller if necessary). Make sure to leave a tiny bit of room between each bacon slice and potato chuck to allow even cooking (don’t push them tightly together). Repeat pattern until you have about 7 pieces of sweet potato and 6 pieces of bacon on each skewer.
Roll each skewer in the spiced sugar mixture. You may want to use your hand to hold some of the spiced sugar to press more of it onto the potatoes and bacon. Tap your skewer gently to remove any excess spiced sugar. Place skewer on top of the the cooling racks on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining skewers. Discard any remaining spiced sugar.
Bake skewers for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and bacon is fully cooked.

Notes

Note: if you are wanting a vegetarian version, you can leave the bacon off. You can also use less bacon – just place 2-3 sweet potato chunks between 1 piece of bacon.

Category: Side Dish
Method: Baking
Cuisine: American

Keywords: easy recipe, fall recipe, cinnamon sugar, fall side dish,

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Want even more potato side dishes?

My Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe ismy contribution to the November#12Bloggers Event that happens on the 12th of every month. It includes myself and 11 blogging friends and we all create recipes around a common theme — all of the recipes have 12 ingredients or less too. This months theme is Potato Side DishRecipes— here are the links to allof the other great potato side dishes:

Broccoli and Cheese Hasselback Potatoes by Big Bear’s Wife
Potato Bread by Betsy Life
Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers by Home Cooking Memories
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes by Cooking on the Front Burner
Garlic Parmesan Parslied Potato Stacks by Love Bakes Good Cakes
Green Chile Scalloped Potatoes by Thyme for co*cktails
Two-Tone Scalloped Potatoes by Bread Booze Bacon
Copycat Cracker Barrel Hashbrown Casserole by A Night Owl
Loaded Tater Tot Bake by Pink Cake Plate
Bacon Cheddar Scalloped Potatoes by I Love My Disorganized Life
Sweet Potato Casserole by See Vanessa Craft
Loaded Slow Cooker Potatoes by Around My Family Table

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe (2024)

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe

Description

Ingredients

Instructions

Notes

Want even more potato side dishes?

FAQs

Do you have to poke sweet potatoes before baking? ›