Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. For easy clean up, line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil (this is especially important if using the honey)

Step 2

Scrub the sweet potatoes and peel if desired. If scrubbing only, be sure to pat them very dry.

Step 3

Trim off the ends of the sweet potatoes, then cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds.

Step 4

Cut each round so that you have pieces that are roughly 1-inch in size. They won't all be perfectly uniform, which is fine. Just try to get them to all be fairly similar in size so that they roast in the same amount of time. Smaller rounds are typically cut into quarters; larger ones you may need to do in 6ths. Place the cubes in the center of the baking sheet.

Step 5

Drizzle the sweet potatoes with the oil and honey (if using) and sprinkle with salt and your seasoning(s) of choice.

Step 6

Toss to coat the sweet potatoes as evenly as possible, then spread them into a single layer on the baking sheet. Make sure the potatoes have a good amount of room around them, or they will steam instead of caramelize. Turn the cubes so that the widest, flattest side of the pieces are touching the sheet pan.

Step 7

Roast the sweet potatoes for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and with a big spatula, turn them to promote even browning. Arrange them back in a single layer. Continue baking for 10 to 20 additional minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork tender and caramelized at the edges. It's OK if some of the edges get pretty dark—they'll taste delicious. Taste (be careful, they are hot!) and seasoning with a bit of extra salt as desired. Enjoy warm or at room temperature. See blog post above for storage tips and ways to use them.