What to Make With Sweet Potatoes

Peel and cut 2 large sweet potatoes into 1-inch cubes, toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and spread them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast at 425°F (220°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping once halfway, until the edges are browned and the centers are tender when pierced with a fork.

Roasted cubes are the base for almost everything else in this guide: toss them into tacos, pile them on grain bowls, or eat them straight from the pan with a squeeze of lime. The one rule is space — cubes touching each other steam instead of browning, so use two pans rather than crowding one.

If you have leftover roasted cubes, tacos are the fastest second dinner. Warm 2 cups of roasted sweet potatoes in a skillet over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until the edges crisp again, then add a drained 15-ounce can of black beans, 1 teaspoon cumin, and 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and cook 3 to 4 minutes more.

Spoon the filling into warm tortillas with shredded cheese and cabbage, and finish with lime and salsa. The beans make the tacos filling enough for dinner, and the whole thing takes about 15 minutes from a fridge full of leftovers.

Sweet potato soup needs only a pot and a blender. Cook 1 diced onion in 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes until soft, add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook 1 minute more, then add 2 pounds of peeled, cubed sweet potatoes and 4 cups of vegetable or chicken broth. Simmer 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender, then blend until smooth.

Season with salt, a squeeze of lime or lemon, and a pinch of chili flakes. If the soup is too thick, thin it with broth a splash at a time. It keeps 3 to 4 days in the fridge and freezes for up to 3 months, so it is a good use for potatoes that are starting to soften.

For breakfast, dice 2 cooked or raw sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch cubes and cook them in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until browned and tender. Push them to one side, add a diced onion and a diced bell pepper, and cook 5 minutes more until softened.

Pour in 4 beaten eggs and cook over medium heat, stirring gently, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the eggs are just set. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce. The eggs cook in the same pan, so the whole breakfast takes one skillet and about 20 minutes.

For fries, cut 2 large sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch sticks, toss with 2 tablespoons oil and 1 teaspoon cornstarch, and spread them on a sheet pan without touching. Bake at 425°F (220°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping halfway, until the edges are crisp and the centers are tender.

Sweet potato fries will never be as crisp as regular potato fries — their extra sugar browns fast and their flesh is softer — so pull them when the edges are dark gold rather than waiting for a hard crunch. For mash, boil peeled cubes in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes until very tender, drain, and mash with butter and a splash of milk; a pinch of cinnamon or a spoonful of maple syrup suits the sweetness, but keep either light so the potato flavor stays in front.

Cooked sweet potatoes keep 3 to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge; refrigerate them within 2 hours of cooking. Reheat them in a skillet over medium heat until steaming, or to 165°F (74°C) if they are mixed with meat or eggs — plain roasted cubes just need to be hot through.

Leftovers work best where a second cook improves them: crisp them again for tacos or hash, blend them into soup, or mash them with a little butter for a quick side. Raw sweet potatoes belong in a cool, dark spot, not the fridge, where cold turns their centers hard and changes how they cook. When in doubt about a cooked leftover past 4 days, throw it out.