Best way to cut Sweet Potatoes; including recipe

Ever dread adding sweet potatoes to your meal simply because they are so hard to chop and dice? Here are some tips I've learned as I've come to enjoy this vegetable in many meals

When I went on a tangent of finding meatless meals, and trying to incorporate healthier versions of potatoes, I found that I love sweet potatoes in stews, chilis, and even simply diced and roasted (or sliced into fries). However, I dreaded chopping them up like nothing else! I don't know when it happened, but overtime, I found an easier way to slice and dice and have even had people compliment just how evenly diced my potatoes are - so I figured I'd create a post about it and share my tips. Ready to enjoy this orange produce more than you ever thought?

Tip 1: Start with a sharp knife

There's nothing worse for prepping meals than a dull knife. It can make the difference in how enjoyable the process is - as well as the amount of time it takes, not to mention, the pressure and risk of cut up fingers - which you really don't want when cooking a meal for your family.

It's worth it to invest in a knife sharpener, whether it's a simple knife file, or one of the more fancy sharpeners with coarse to fine options. I'm not the best at keeping my knives sharp, but as I notice, I can no longer slice through a tomato - I realize I need to take the time to do that. Oh, what difference it makes! To struggle through that potato, or to slice right through it with barely no effort! The choice is up to you...

My knife preference for this job is a Santoku. It allows me to brace the tip on the cutting board and apply pressure through the potato.

Tip 2: Choose the size of your potato wisely

Depending on what dish you are making, choosing the more slender potatoes makes it easier to slice through. When it's got a large diameter, that means you have to work harder to get that knife all the way through. But the thinner ones, to me, are much more friendly.

Tip 3: Slice into rounds - instead of lengthwise (if dicing)

If your goal is to make french fries, this method does not work. But if dicing to add into a hash or stew, or simply roasting for a Thanksgiving meal - slicing into rounds is much easier on my hands. With the sharpened knife in hand, I slice each potato into 1/2 inch rounds.

You can make them thinner or thicker depending on your cooking time.

For instance, if you are adding to the crockpot and they'll cook for 8-10 hours, you may want them a little thicker so they do not become mush before you are ready to consume them.

If you are in a hurry and need them to cook a bit faster, dice them into thinner rounds.

Tip 4: Dice each round into cubes

Once you have the rounds, you can easily dice those into your desired size. Again, as stated above - depending on how long you plan to cook or bake them, make your cuts larger or smaller.

If I have a larger round, I will make a tic-tac-toe pattern with them. Note that the picture on the right has 6 cuts, but for roasting, I will chop them into 9 pieces. Two cuts diagonally and two cuts vertically.

This makes them small enough to roast in a timely manner. Especially when roasting, you want your pieces to be as close to the same size as possible so that they bake evenly.

In the picture here, I was adding them to a stew I cook on the stove top, so my cubes were a bit larger.

There you have it! My tips for getting the job done without killing your hands!

1. Start with a sharp nice

2. Choose slender potatos over those with a larger diameter

3. Slice into rounds

4. Cube each round into 6-9 pieces

Now for my favorite recipe. I love making this dish for Thanksgiving dinner, or for potlucks.

Sage and Thyme Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Ingredients

• 2-3 Sweet Potatoes

• Avocado or Olive Oil

• Dried sage

• Dried Thyme, crushed preferred

Convection Roast 450 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes; flip potatoes half way through cooking.

Step 1: Cube the Sweet Potatos

Step 2: Add potatoes to a large bowl

Step 3: Add 2 Tbsp of oil

Step 4: Toss in Sage and Thyme

Toss in the bowl till all the potatoes are well covered with the seasonings.

Feel free to add in your favorite seasonings - rosemary and parsley are also popular on potatoes.

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Well done!

Now you have no excuse to incorporate sweet potatoes into your regular meal rotation and you have a simple recipe to get you started.

Tell me how it went for you by leaving a comment below.