15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (2024)

Date: · Updated: Author: Sharon Rigsby

This collection of 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes features simple, homemade, no-fuss sweet potato recipes that are perfect whether you are serving them for a quick weeknight meal or for a special occasion.

Although crowd-pleasing sweet potato side dishes reign supreme at Thanksgiving and the holidays, they are also perfect to serve any time of the year. Whether you are looking for a sweet potato side dish, main dish, salad, soup, or even dessert, I’ve got you covered.

15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (1)

From my personal favorite, Sweet Potato Bread with Pecans, to breakfast and brunch staple, Sweet Potato Hash, and dessert superstar, Sweet Potato Pie, there is something for everyone. All are easy, hearty, delicious, and satisfying recipes that include sweet potatoes, which are classified as a superfood!

Southern Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole

Southern Sweet Potato Casserole with Bourbon and Pecans isa delightful combination of flavors that is sure to draw rave reviews from everyone. This isa lighter version of the classic recipefor sweet potato casserole with pecans most folks expect to see on Thanksgiving. But it has a fun twist, atouch of bourbon, the quintessential southern liquor.

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Southern Candied Sweet Potatoes

Old-fashionedSouthern Candied Sweet Potatoeswith pecans is a dazzling holiday side dish with a rich combination of flavors and textures. This recipe features thinly sliced tender sweet potatoes perfectly seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground cloves and blanketed in caramelized brown sugar, sweet, creamy butter, andcandied pecans.

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Easy Southern Sweet Potato Bread with Pecans

Easy Southern Sweet Potato Bread with Pecans is theultimate quick bread! It’s moist, flavorful, and loaded withsweet potatoes and crunchy pecans.Tasty sweet potato bread is the height ofquick bread perfection, and trying to resist a slice is futile!

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Roasted Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries

Flavorful Roasted Turkey Breast with Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries is the perfect Thanksgiving dinner recipe for a small gathering. Not only does this amazing dish make a beautiful presentation and feed four, but it is made in one skillet and cooks in under an hour.

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Healthy Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks

Healthy Roasted Sweet Potato Stacks are the stuff sweet potato dreams are made of, full of nutritious and flavorful sweet potatoes, scallions,roasted pecans, and maple syrup!

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Sweet Potato Pie with Condensed Milk

My, oh my, Sweet Potato Pie!Southern Sweet Potato Pie with Condensed Milktastes like a cool crisp fall day; warm, pungent spices and Thanksgiving all wrapped up in one delicious and decadent bite.

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Easy Sweet Potato Hash

Easy Southern Sweet Potato Hash is full of healthy sweet potatoes, crisp Granny Smith apples, tart cranberries, and bacon cooked with eggs in a cast-iron skillet! Versatile, sweet, and savory Easy Southern Sweet Potato Hash is the “breakfast of champions” and a great way to start the day!

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Savory Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Imagine, if you will, soft, fluffy, and savory baked sweet potatoes combined with shallots, thyme, butter, and delicious Fontina cheese. These unique Savory Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes should be making an appearance on your Thanksgiving table this year!

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Healthy Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Healthy Roasted Sweet Potato Salad is a unique, colorful, healthy, and, best of all, delicious choice for your Thanksgiving dinner.

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Terry’s Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole

Are you looking for the most delicious Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole that you have ever eaten? One that is decadent beyond description and will have your family clamoring for more?

Well, you are in the right place because Terry’s Thanksgiving Sweet Potato Casserole is all that and more!

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Easy Creamy Southern Sweet Potato Soup

Easy Creamy Southern Sweet Potato Soup isas smooth as velvet, a little spicy, and pure creamy deliciousness. Sweet and savory with carrots and sweet potatoes, this homemade soupis quick to make and even quicker to disappear.

Topped withcandied pecans, this easy soup recipe is 100% delicious.

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Fall Harvest Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

This irresistibly delicious Fall Harvest Salad with Apples and Sweet Potatoes is as pretty as a picture and tastes as good as it looks! Full of roasted sweet potatoes, juicy sliced apples, and crunchy roasted pecans, this healthy salad will remind you of a cool crisp Fall day.

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Smoked Sweet Potatoes

Sinfully delicious, Smoked Sweet Potatoes topped with Maple Bourbon Butter will rock your world with their sweet and savory smoked potato goodness. The light smoky flavor goes beautifully with the delicate sweetness of the potato, and this incredible side dish is super easy to make.

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Sweet Potato Biscuits

Easy Southern Sweet Potato Biscuits with Cranberry Aioli – say yes, please! How could you not love this combination of sweet and savory flavors? Add some salty country ham, and you have a delicious homemade biscuit fit for a king or queen.

If you are not planning to entertain the Royals, how about serving these yummy biscuits for an Easter or Mother’s Day Brunch or Lunch?

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Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup

What better way to celebrate cooler weather than with the warm, cozy deliciousness of a steaming bowl of smooth, velvety Pumpkin and Sweet Potato Soup?

Creamy roasted pumpkin and sweet potato soup is a perfect first or starter course for Thanksgiving, or it’s an easy, healthy, light lunch or dinner. And, the best part, kids love it!

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Sweet potato FAQs:

What is the most popular Thanksgiving side dish?

This depends on where you live. Although mashed potatoes are the number one side dish across the country, in the South, sweet potato casseroles such as Bourbon Sweet Potato Casserole and Terry’s Traditional Sweet Potato Casserole are unabashedly the star of the side dish lineup and are a must on any southern Thanksgiving dinner table.

What is the most popular topping for a sweet potato casserole?

There are two camps on what kind of topping should be on sweet potato casseroles. One insists on marshmallows, and the other is adamant that you can’t have a sweet potato casserole without a pecan brown sugar topping or a pecan streusel topping.

Ours is a house divided, so I often put marshmallows on one side and pecans and brown sugar on the opposite side.

What is the healthiest way to cook sweet potatoes?

Baking or roasting sweet potatoes in the oven is the healthiest way to cook sweet potatoes. On their own, sweet potatoes are considered a superfood and are loaded with vitamins and minerals; it’s when you add copious amounts of butter, sugar, and other “fixin’s” that you can get into trouble.

What dishes can be made from sweet potatoes?

As you can see from this collection, sweet potatoes can be used in all sorts of dishes, from sides to mains. These versatile, flavorful, and colorful potatoes can also be substituted for regular white potatoes in most recipes.

What’s the difference between sweet potatoes and yams?

While many folks use the terms interchangeably, and while both are tuber-shaped, sweet potatoes and yams are two very different food items.
Most of the time, when folks think they are eating yams or when they see candied yams in the grocery store, they are actually sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are grown in the South, while yams are grown in West Africa.

More Thanksgiving recipes:

  • 32 Easy No-Fuss Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes – 2023
  • 27 Easy Savory Dressing and Stuffing Recipes for 2023
  • 37 Southern Thanksgiving Side Dishes to Impress – 2023

No Thanksgiving meal would be complete without dessert, and these two recipe collections are full of ideas for ending everything on a sweet note:

40 Best Desserts for Thanksgiving 2022 and 40 Non-Traditional Thanksgiving Desserts.

And, because Christmas isn’t far behind, I thought you might be interested in these Christmas recipe collections:

  • 29 Best Christmas Dessert Recipes
  • 25 Best Christmas Breakfast/Brunch Recipes
  • 30 Easy and Elegant Christmas Dinner Menu Ideas
  • 31 Easy Homemade Edible Christmas Gifts

★★★★★If you make any of these recipes, please leave a comment and give it a star rating. I would love to know how you liked it!

Thanks so much for visiting Grits and Pinecones! I hope you come back soon!

More Thanksgiving Recipes

  • Best Southern Fried Corn with Bacon Recipe
  • Easy Peanut Butter Mousse Recipe with Whipped Cream
  • Homemade Gingerbread Ice Cream Recipe (No Churn)
  • Creamy Turkey Noodle Casserole Recipe with Leftover Turkey

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  1. 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (24)April

    What a great list of sweet potato recipes! So much inspiration! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  2. 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (25)Gloria @ Homemade & Yummy

    What a great collection of recipes. Sweet potatoes can be used so many delicious ways for sure.

    Reply

    • 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (26)Gritsandpinecones

      Thanks so much Gloria!

      Reply

  3. 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (27)Kimberly @ Berly's Kitchen

    This is a lovely list of sweet potato inspired recipes and such a large variety of ways to prepare them. Definitely, goes above and beyond the traditional baked sweet potato! Love this post.

    Reply

    • 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (28)Gritsandpinecones

      Thanks so much Kimberly!

      Reply

  4. 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (29)Amy

    So much goodness here! How do you decide?! Although that scalloped sweet potato dish might be calling my name…

    Reply

    • 15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (30)Gritsandpinecones

      I’m with you! My husband wants me to make the Scalloped Sweet Potato dish for his office Thanksgiving party! It does look yummy!

      Reply

15 Sweet and Savory Sweet Potato Recipes - Grits and Pinecones (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to sweet potato to make it taste good? ›

Salt, Pepper, and Butter – the OG classic way of serving your sweet potatoes. Greek Yogurt and Green Onion – one of my personal favorites! you can do sour cream instead of Greek Yogurt if you prefer. Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, and Butter – ok, I'm a big fan of savory but this combo is also a favorite!

What is the best tasting sweet potato? ›

The most versatile and sweetest variation of sweet potatoes is the Beauregard. Throughout the United States, you will see this species stacked high in the grocery stores during the holiday season. Beauregard's have a bit of a stringy texture, but they stay soft: this is what makes them so popular.

What are the tips and tricks of sweet potatoes? ›

Selection and storage tips: Choose firm, small- to medium-sized potatoes with smooth skin. Avoid cracks, soft spots and blemishes. Choose sweet potatoes with a bright, uniform color. Store them in a cool, dark, dry place for use within two to three weeks or at room temperature for up to a week.

How many pounds of sweet potatoes do you need to feed 20 people? ›

Potatoes or sweet potatoes: 5 to 6 ounces per person, which equals about 1 large Yukon Gold or white potato, or half of a large sweet potato.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

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.

Which kind of sweet potato is healthiest? ›

Sweet Potatoes and Health

Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.

What are the 4 types of sweet potatoes? ›

There are five main types of sweet potato that are commonly consumed today—Garnet, Hannah, Japanese, Jewel, and Purple Stoke. While all are delicious, each variety has its own distinct flavor and texture that lends itself to a variety of cooking applications.

Why not to boil sweet potatoes? ›

Despite their sweet taste, these potatoes have an intermediate glycemic index (GI) level, meaning they are digested and absorbed fairly slowly, leading to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. But, a lot of these benefits, including nutrients and taste, can be lost by boiling sweet potatoes.

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

What is the healthiest way to cook sweet potato? ›

Baking: Baking sweet potatoes in the oven is one of the healthiest ways to cook them. Simply wash and dry the sweet potatoes, prick them all over with a fork, and place them on a baking sheet. Bake them in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for 45-60 minutes, or until they are soft and tender.

How many sweet potatoes for 15? ›

How to Estimate How Many Sweet Potatoes You Need per Person. “A general guideline to estimating how many sweet potatoes you need when hosting friends or family for a meal is one medium sweet potato per person,” Burgess says, as if she's done this many times before.

What does 1 serving of sweet potato look like? ›

Nutrition Facts Serving size: 1 medium (4.6 oz / 130 g) Calories 100 Calories from Fat 0 *Percent Daily Values (%DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Sweet potatoes are one of the best sources of vitamin A; a medium one contains more than 100 percent of the daily recommended intake, according to the USDA.

How many sweet potatoes do I need for 4 people? ›

Use 1 medium sweet potato per person.

How do you balance sweet potatoes? ›

A bit of vinegar can give your sweet potatoes a zesty tang that offers a more complex dish. You can choose how much vinegar you'd like to add based on how much of the sweetness you want to reign in. If you're looking to remove just a tiny amount of sweetness, a splash of vinegar will do.

What makes sweet potato a super food? ›

Of the thousands of vegetables available today, sweet potatoes are considered one of the most nutritious. The orange- (or sometimes purple) fleshed vegetables are loaded with minerals and A, B, and C vitamins. This has led to sweet potatoes being called a superfood by many.

Are sweet potatoes healthier than regular potatoes? ›

Though they can both be part of a healthy diet, sweet potatoes are generally healthier than regular potatoes, partly because of their incredibly high vitamin A content. Sweet potatoes are also lower on the glycemic index, meaning that they are less likely than regular potatoes to make your blood sugar spike.

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