spicy sweet potato coins

by Stacy

Let’s hop in the way-back machine. Where are we going? How about back to a time when I blogged about the food that I cooked and took pictures of actual dishes. Remember that? Me too.

I’ve been doing a lot of writing for other projects lately, especially my coaching events, and by the time my to-do list has a dent, I never want to look at the computer again.

What I do want to do is eat sweet potatoes.

spicy sweet potato coins

You should, too. Sweet potatoes have a much lower glycemic index than white potatoes so they’re starchy and sweet without spiking your blood sugar. Bright-colored foods like sweet potatoes are also high in anti-oxidants, and leaving the skin on means ample fiber and protein (the protein is all in the skin, did you know?).

Adding more sugar to something so naturally sweet seems wrong; I prefer a savory preparation to balance the starchy sweetness. A little kick of spice balances out the flavors for a simple, straight-forward dish. Sometimes I dice the sweet potatoes, but it’s so quick to cut plain slices instead.

spicy sweet potato coins

As a side benefit, they’re delicious. This is my favorite lazy way to eat them, cut into thick slices, tossed with a slick of oil, salt, earthy cumin, and bright spicy chili powder. A little crunch on the edges, a tender center, and that contrast of sweet and savory with some depth and kick from the spices make for a well-rounded dish. The ridiculously easy prep makes up for the hands-off cook time being a bit longer.

With a green salad to start, this has been a common lunch lately, and I’m happy with it. How do you like your sweet potatoes?

print recipe
spicy sweet potato coins
Less work than cutting up fries, more delicious than anything else you ate today.
Ingredients
  • 1 medium sweet potato
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
1.) Preheat the oven (I use my toaster oven) to 425F.2.) Scrub the sweet potato well. Slice into 1/2″ wide circles. Toss with olive oil, salt, and spices. Arrange in a single layer on baking sheet.3.) Bake at 425F for about 30 minutes (time will depend on the width of your potato, so check earlier if you’re worried), turning once. Sweet potatoes are done when they’re uniformly soft all the way through and golden brown and crisp outside. Serve with ketchup, if desired.
Details

Prep time: Cook time: Total time: Yield: 1 serving

{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }

anni November 12, 2011 at 6:56 am

and….lunch today. i have a sweet potato and 1/2 laying around that i’ve been meaning to use up. thanks for the inspiration!

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Stacy November 12, 2011 at 4:29 pm

Yay! Anytime you have spare veggies chillaxin’ you let me know. 😉

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Kristi @ 30 Pounds of Apples November 12, 2011 at 12:10 pm

These look deeeelicious. I have never been a big fan of sweet potatoes, but I recently had some sweet potato fries at a local restaurant that I adored, so my curiosity has been peaked. Good timing, I just bought some sweet potatoes at the farmers market this morning, I’ll give this a shot!
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Stacy November 12, 2011 at 4:30 pm

I refused to eat sweet potatoes for years (marshmallows? really?), but like most vegetables, once I had them roasted I never looked back. Let me know what you think!

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Angela November 15, 2011 at 10:01 am

Beautiful! I am all about sweet potatoes AND less work. Thank you!
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Stacy November 16, 2011 at 7:35 am

Thanks, Angela! Hope you make them. =)

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Mom November 15, 2011 at 10:26 am

Wait a minute!! We NEVER had sweet potatoes with marshmallows!! I only made Great-Grandma’s recipe, dripping in butter and brown sugar!!

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Stacy November 15, 2011 at 11:04 am

Mother, I have been offered sweet potatoes on other occasions than your house on Thanksgiving. Such as at Grandma’s on pineapple sliced and other horrors.

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Kate HR November 15, 2011 at 12:25 pm

I’m totally with you re: sweet vs. savory preparations of sweet potatoes. My family didn’t eat them much growing up but the few times I had them they were all dolled up with marshmallows and other sweet things and so I thought they were gross. THEN I had them without the extra sweet ingredients and LOVED them! I like to make oven fries or things like this recipe with savory spices…or even very simple, baked with some butter and coarsely ground sea salt. Now we’re talking!!

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Stacy November 16, 2011 at 7:36 am

When you bake them, add a dash of nutmeg, too. Mmmm.

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redpenmamapgh November 17, 2011 at 10:43 am

Hubs and I love roasted sweet potatoes. I usually dice them, but I think I’m going to try this shape next time. Sounds weird, but I think my kids would eat circles.

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Stacy November 18, 2011 at 8:39 am

My husband doesn’t really like sweet potatoes (shocking, I know), but he likes fries, so I sometimes get him to eat sweet potato fries. Hey, whatever works!

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Kimberly November 17, 2011 at 1:50 pm

Looks good! I’m going to have to get a sweet potato this weekend. Nice to see food again on your blog :)

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Stacy November 18, 2011 at 8:40 am

Agreed. 😉

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naomi April 9, 2012 at 3:22 pm

do red garnet sweet potatoes work okay for this? do you have a favorite variety that works best? thanks

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Stacy April 10, 2012 at 12:20 pm

Red garnets are PERFECT, Naomi! I do try to find ones that are skinnier, just because the slices are more uniform and cook more evenly.

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kathleen August 14, 2012 at 2:04 pm

Made these for dinner last night, and they were fantastic! The spices were perfect, though I did use 1/4 tsp kosher salt instead of an 1/8 tsp. This recipe is definatly a keeper!

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Stacy August 17, 2012 at 11:34 am

So glad you enjoyed them, Kathleen! And I definitely err on the lighter side of salt in all my recipes since you can always add more. =)

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Maggie Unzueta @ Mama Maggie's Kitchen June 16, 2014 at 11:06 am

YUM! Sweet potato. My son could eat a dozen of these. :)
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Barbara June 16, 2014 at 4:17 pm

Love sweet potatoes and these look super fun and kid-friendly. Finger foods are always a win :)
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Lynn @ oh-soyummy June 17, 2014 at 11:38 pm

I dunno… you got me with just the words “sweet potato!” I hope I have time to try these out this summer.
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