I love the idea of candied sweet potatoes, but for me, they're just a little too sweet. Though it's hard to have a holiday meal without these beautiful orange potatoes glistening on the table, so I created a lighter version, Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries and Pecans. I place slices of sweet potatoes in a casserole dish and pour a mixture of apple cider, maple syrup, cinnamon, and nutmeg on top. I then sprinkle with fresh cranberries, bake until nearly tender, and then pecans are added towards the end of baking. The result is a beautifully delicious spiced dish full of bright flavors, and thanks to the maple syrup and cider, it is just sweet enough.
Ingredients for Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries and Pecans:
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick slices
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter cut into small dice
Sauce:
3/4 cup Honeycrisp Cider
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 orange, zested
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
salt
pepper
Time-Saving Tip: Combine dressing ingredients a few hours in advance.
Let's see what we need.
We're ready to cook.
Combine sauce ingredients; set aside.
Place the sweet potatoes in a buttered 9x12 casserole dish; you will have to overlap them. Sprinkle the cranberries on top and pour in the dressing all over the potatoes coating all of them. Add the butter and cover with foil — Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until just starting to turn tender. Baste the potatoes with the liquid; I find a turkey baster works wells for this, but you can also use a spoon. Sprinkle with the pecans and return to the oven and bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and pecans are toasted.
It's ready! Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries and Pecans are so delicious. I love this dish since the flavor of the potatoes can shine through the lightly sweetened sauce. It's a great side to turkey or ham and perfect for the holidays.
Enjoy!
Sweet Potatoes with Cranberries and Pecans:
2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick slices
1 cup fresh cranberries
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
2 tablespoons butter cut into small dice
Sauce:
3/4 cup Honeycrisp Cider
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 orange, zested
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
salt
pepper
Combine sauce ingredients; set aside.
Place the sweet potatoes in a buttered 9x12 casserole dish; you will have to overlap them. Sprinkle the cranberries on top and pour in the dressing all over the potatoes coating all of them. Add the butter and cover with foil — Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven for 45 minutes or until just starting to turn tender. Baste the potatoes with the liquid; I find a turkey baster works wells for this, but you can also use a spoon. Sprinkle with the pecans and return to the oven and bake uncovered until potatoes are tender and pecans are toasted.
Time-Saving Tip: Combine dressing ingredients a few hours in advance.