Sometimes our holiday celebrations have are huge extended family celebration and others, they are much smaller more intimate celebrations. Needless to say, our menu has adjusted accordingly. Some years when it was just my daughter and I, we had more of a Charlie Brown Thanksgiving-style meal with a mishmash of whatever we happened to be in the mood for – sushi, steak, cheesecake.
And others, especially, when it was just me, I tended to go with simple single portions – things like these Hasselback sweet potatoes are perfect for that. Serve them along with these Roasted Turkey Legs and you’ve got the foundation of a delicious meal that’s just right whether serving 1 person or 20 people.
Candied sweet potatoes have been a family tradition for as long as I can remember it. It started out as my grandmother’s sweet potato casserole. For a couple of years, we served a cold version of it as a sweet potato salad.
But more recently, I came up with an individual candied sweet potato recipe. This is an ideal way to still get the delicious flavours of my grandmother’s recipe while making appropriate portions for a smaller group.
Maple Pecan Hasselback Sweet Potato Recipe
Scroll down for a printable recipe!
Ingredients:
You can vary these according to your preferences but here’s what I used for each serving –
- One large sweet potato.
- 1/2 T. of brown sugar
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1 T. of butter, softened
- 1/8 cup of marshmallows
- 1 tsp. of dried cranberries (optional)
- 1/2 T. of pecans (walnuts work well too)
- a drizzle of maple syrup
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Instructions:
I don’t bother peeling the potatoes. I simply wash them well and dry them. Lay the potato between two chopsticks. This will help you cut the slits in the potato to make it hasselback style but helps prevent you from cutting all the way through. I try to make the slits as even as possible without being too terribly fussy about it.
Drizzle the potatoes with a bit of olive oil – I used a pastry brush to spread it a little more evenly. Then sprinkle on a bit of salt. Place in the oven at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour until thoroughly cooked. Timing will vary according to the size of the potatoes.
I like to place them on some non-stick foil or to spray/oil the baking pan so they don’t stick once I add the rest of the ingredients for “candying” them.
Remove from the oven. Mix the butter, sugar, and nutmeg together. Stuff this in between the slits of the potato. I found the easiest way to do this was by taking a small bit on the tip of a knife and sticking that down into the potato.
It doesn’t really matter if you get every single slit – every third one or so is plenty. Then I took a bit and simply spread it across the top of the potato. Since the sweet potato is hot, the butter starts to melt over the surface of it anyway.
Next, stuff the nuts, cranberries, and marshmallows down into the openings of the potato too. Drizzle a bit of maple syrup over and season with some salt and pepper to finish off the flavours. Pop this back into the oven for 5-10 minutes until the marshmallows are toasted and golden brown. YUM!
Maple Pecan Hasselback Sweet Potato Recipe
Want a new variation on an old classic this holiday season? Try this Maple Pecan Hasselback Sweet Potato Recipe in individual portions.
Ingredients
- One large sweet potato.
- 1/2 T. of brown sugar
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 1 T. of butter softened
- 1/8 cup of marshmallows
- 1 tsp. of dried cranberries optional
- 1/2 T. of pecans walnuts work well too
- a drizzle of maple syrup
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
-
I don’t bother peeling the potatoes. I simply wash them well and dry them. Lay the potato between two chopsticks. This will help you cut the slits in the potato to make it hasselback style but helps prevent you from cutting all the way through. I try to make the slits as even as possible without being too terribly fussy about it.
-
Drizzle the potatoes with a bit of olive oil – I used a pastry brush to spread it a little more evenly. Then sprinkle on a bit of salt. Place in the oven at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour until thoroughly cooked. Timing will vary according to the size of the potatoes.
-
I like to place them on some non-stick foil or to spray/oil the baking pan so they don’t stick once I add the rest of the ingredients for “candying” them.
-
Remove from the oven. Mix the butter, sugar, and nutmeg together. Stuff this in between the slits of the potato. I found the easiest way to do this was by taking a small bit on the tip of a knife and sticking that down into the potato.
-
It doesn’t really matter if you get every single slit – every third one or so is plenty. Then I took a bit and simply spread it across the top of the potato. Since the sweet potato is hot, the butter starts to melt over the surface of it anyway.
-
Next, stuff the nuts, cranberries, and marshmallows down into the openings of the potato too. Drizzle a bit of maple syrup over and season with some salt and pepper to finish off the flavours. Pop this back into the oven for 5-10 minutes until the marshmallows are toasted and golden brown. YUM!
One bite of this and I’m still transported back to my grandma’s kitchen. I can picture the pretty white dish she served her sweet potato casserole in. I’ll always remember the family stories we shared around the table.
In my mind, I can still hear my siblings and I arguing over who was going to help with the cleanup. Isn’t it amazing how one little recipe can make you feel all warm and fuzzy and wrapped up in love?
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