Sweet Potato Not Fries
Everything we love about sweet potato fries without the fried part!
Growing up, sweet potatoes were a Thanksgiving food. We ate them with lots of sugar and butter and pecans. And they were more pie than side dish. And they were unbelievably delicious. And we all died and went to heaven when we ate them. Maybe you’ve tried them? If you haven’t, do.
But.
It’s only in the last few years that I’ve thought to prepare them any other way. While I love them extra sweet at Thanksgiving, I LOVE savory applications even more–in burritos, roasted simply with salt, pepper, and olive oil, baked, in wedges, you name it.
This recipe is one of our most recent favorites. They have all the delicious flavor of spiced sweet potato fries, without the fried part. So, while the name may seem lackluster, we call them not-fries.
The seasoning blend is nothing crazy–I have the ingredients in my pantry more or less always–but it’s delicious. Just enough spice to keep things interesting, but still child friendly. Milo eats pops these little cubes in his mouth like mad. For the record, Sophie won’t touch them, so I can’t guarantee your child will love them. All I know is, I do!
If you want these spicier, feel free to shake in a little (or a lot) of cayenne. I usually add about 1 tsp of the sweet potato seasoning mix per medium sweet potato, but feel free to do what feels right for you, whether that’s 2 tsp or 1/2 tsp per potato.
Most of all, enjoy. I love them in a lunch bowl with avocado and maybe an egg or some turkey with some fruit on the side. They’re also dynamite with chicken or alongside these mini meatloaves.
Sweet Potato Not Fries
- Yield: 4-5 as a side dish 1x
Description
Everything you love about sweet potato fries without the guilt!
Ingredients
For the fry seasoning mixture
- 2 Tbsp paprika
- 2 Tbsp salt
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 3/4 tsp cumin
- 3/4 tsp pepper
- 1/8 tsp celery salt (optional, but recommended)
For the sweet potatoes:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1–2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp fry seasoning mixture (more, if desired)
Instructions
For the fry seasoning:
- Combine all ingredients in an airtight container or small bowl and stir or shake to combine. Store leftover seasoning mix in an airtight container. Mixture will keep for at least 3 months.
For the sweet potatoes:
- In a large bowl, toss sweet potatoes, olive oil, and fry seasoning mixture. For more heavily spiced fries, add additional seasoning as desired. Spread seasoned potatoes onto a baking sheet.
- Bake at 400 degrees for 30-45 minutes, turning every 10 minutes or so for even browning. When done, sweet potatoes should be lightly browned on the outside and tender inside.
I love spicy + smoky flavours with sweet potato; these sound great and I can’t wait to make them asap!
These are delicious! I can attest to their marvelousness. I don’t even LIKE sweet potatoes. At least I didn’t, apparently I do now! 🙂
I never thought to add cayenne pepper. We love cayenne pepper. Sweet potatoes are now on my grocery list! We always slice them super thin and squeeze lime juice over them and then salt and pepper. So good! Nice to have another variation.
Lime sounds SO delicious! I’m trying that next!
I am adding sweet potatoes to the grocery list…these sound yummy. I am wondering how 50/50 paprika and smoked paprika might be…might have to experiment 🙂
YUM! I love smoked paprika!
Oh, these look good. We love sweet potatoes, and I’m always looking for new ways to fix them.
Thanks for the recipe.
I can’t believe how much your kids have grown. Amazing cuteliness!
I am looking for options to take with me to lunch and wondered if these are good when reheated? Thanks.
I love leftover sweet potatoes and always heat them up the next day for lunches. They’ll taste great, but as with all fries or roasted potatoes, the crispiness will have softened a bit unless you’re reheating them in an oven or toaster oven.