Fall Flavor: Maple & Caramelized Onion Sweet Potatoes

Time for fall!  I love the richness of this dish, and sweet potatoes always add a pretty orange touch to a fall table.  This is absolutely my favorite sweet potato recipe.  I never liked them much until I got some at the farmer’s market a few years ago and realized that fresh sweet potatoes were a completely different animal than store-bought.  Amazing the difference.  Mom’s organic market often carries a Japanese sweet potato with white flesh that is also quite tasty.

Anyway, I never have understood “sweet potato casserole” because it really seems to be more “sweet” than “sweet potato.”   But I love the caramelized onion sweetness in this dish, and I often add cayenne or crushed red pepper in place of the black pepper for a bit of heat.  The potatoes do tend to cool quickly, so make sure to use hot water and serve in a warmed dish.  The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled, though you may have to puree in batches.  If you try to make this for Thanksgiving you may get a few frowns – people do love their marshmallows – but they’ll come around.

Maple Sweet Potatoes with Caramelized Onion

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 4 T maple syrup
• 2 T olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 T butter
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

Heat oven to 375°.  Peel and cube sweet potatoes.  Toss wtih 2 T maple syrup, 1 T olive oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Arrange sweet potatoes on the sheet in a single layer. Roast 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until potatoes are fork-tender.

Meanwhile, heat butter and remaining 1 T olive oil in a large saute pan over medium high heat.  Add onion, remaining 2 T maple syrup, and rosemary, crumbled.  Season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently, until onion begins to brown. Reduce heat and cook 15-20 minutes more, until onions are soft and caramelized. Turn off heat but keep onions warm.

Transfer potatoes to a food processor.  Add 2 T hot water.  Pulse until just blended, adding additional hot water as needed to create a smooth puree.  Add half the caramelized onion and pulse to mix well.  Spread sweet potatoes in a warmed dish and top with reserved onion.

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Tags: caramelized onion, maple syrup, sweet potato, sweet potato casserole