Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Today is not only the start of a new week but a new chapter… it is the first week I will be taking over as co host of Meatless Monday with Deborah from Confessions of a Mother Runner! I’m very excited about working with Deborah (I think we’ll make a great team), meet and work with other bloggers, and inspire more people! If you don’t know Deborah you need to check out her blog not only for recipes but for the many fitness related topics she posts about. Many of you regular Meatless Monday bloggers may already know me, and many of my regular readers know that I already regularly participate in Meatless Monday and link to it. So what will change? You will now see thumbnail images of many other delicious Meatless Monday creations from the other bloggers at the bottom of this post! If you are a blogger and don’t already participate in Meatless Monday, or maybe you do but you don’t link up this is a great time to join in! Feel free to join at anytime, and no you don’t need to do it every week. There are only a couple requirements which I will outline at the bottom of this post but basically just that you link back and your recipe is Meatless.

Join @Miss_Whisk and @deborahbrooks14 for a delicious #MeatlessMonday linkup! @MeatlessMonday Share on X

This may come as a shock that I’m not coming out with fireworks and some big extravagant or crazy creation like I sometimes do but instead with something so simple you are shaking your head. There are many reasons for this, trust me I thought about it long and hard and debated. I have been craving and devouring Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes for so long and even when were going through our remodel and I was missing my sweet potatoes I found them at the Whole Food Market Salad bar and oh I would fill up that brown to go container with that, beets, marinated artichokes, and a different salad every week. There are many things I would have thought that I couldn’t live without but this was something that shocked me a little. I love my sweet potatoes but really thought there would be other things I would miss more. It’s a new year and one my thoughts is simplify things. I’m not a batch cooker or a planner since I am an intuitive eater and usually don’t know what I want until it’s time to make it/eat. I can get inspired at anytime and want to have that freedom. However big bathes is something we do from time to time but we also like are variety and it got me thinking to some of the staples and how we put them in everything. For example in the winter we may make a vegan/vegetarian chili and then we will take that big batch and eat it 5 different ways over the course of the week. Or in the summer I might make a quinoa salad and switch it up putting it in a wrap one day, add another component to it the next, stuff it in a tomato, ect. I realized we do this a lot more than we think. These sweet potatoes are one of those things. I can eat them cold or hot, for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, in a salad, in a hash, as a side dish or the main component. Or as my husband likes to say I could eat them in a house, with a mouse, in a car, near or far…. Haha!

Case and point the salad I posted on Friday, my Genie In A Bowl Salad, is one of those things I like to add these sweet potatoes to so I will be updating that post today.

I made a big batch when I photographed them and for 3 days in a row my oldest came home and dug into them, and then again for dinner one night when she had to eat quick before soccer, and came home asking if she could have some. I can’t say I blame her since I ate probably 3 sweet potatoes the day I made them! Good thing Costco sells big bags of sweet potatoes, that’s all I have to say about that and that there could be worse things to eat, no guilt here! I did scale the recipe portions down so you aren’t making a whole big bag but feel free to adjust as needed as hopefully these potatoes become one of your favorites too!

Herb Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Makes 4-6 servings, as a side
2-2 1/2lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed (approx 1″ chunks/wedges)
1-2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh thyme*
6″ spring of fresh rosemary*
1/2 tsp sea salt or pink Himalayan salt
fresh ground pepper to taste

*I only use fresh herbs when I make these because I feel they make a big difference. These are great as is but I also add more sometimes when eating them or making dishes so add more to desired taste.

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with foil and set aside. Desteam thyme pulling leaves off down the steam. Do the same with the rosemary but run a knife through the rosemary to chop up a little. Or if cooking with a little one they can use a kitchen sissors and cut the rosemary into little pieces off the steam. Cut potatoes into 1″ chunks and toss with extra virgin olive oil, salt, and half of the fresh herbs and spread evenly on foil lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper.

Now there are a couple ways to make these. If you want to make them quick or want softer potatoes and cover with foil and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes (check at 10 minutes if you cut even smaller cubes) until tender. If you want them a little crispy and brown, more traditionally roasted, remove foil and place them under the broiler for a couple of minutes. Even under the broiler slightly to brown this method will produce the brightest sweet potatoes.

If you want firmer potatoes that are brown and roasted, more like french fries, place in oven to roast for 20 minutes. Toss and place potatoes back in the oven for approximately 15 minutes (will depend on the size of your sweet potato chunks), or until JUST fork tender.

Remove potatoes from the oven and toss with remaining fresh herbs. Enjoy warm as a side dish, in your favorite salad or dinner bowl, or let cool and enjoy cold as is or in your favorite salad.

Are you a sweet potato fan? What is your favorite way to enjoy them?

I’m also linking up with The Fit Foodie Mama for Meatless Monday to share the veggie love!