Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe (2024)

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Sugar and spice and everything nice…that’s what this Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers recipe is made of! An easy side dish, perfect for fall.

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When I wasa new mom and wife,sweet potatoes were cooked in my kitchen only one time per year: Thanksgiving. And, it was almost alwayscanned sweet potatoes (or yams). Let’s just say thatI was oddly intimated by fresh sweet potatoes.

When I made sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving, it was always a “classic” sweet potato casserole, topped with marshmallows. My husband and I would enjoy it. But the kids? It wasn’t their thing. There was always a ton of leftovers, and I figured that my kids just didn’t like sweet potatoes. But, did that stop me? Nope. I continued to make them most years, citing that it wasa tradition.

But, over the last several years, I learned that my kids actually DO like sweet potatoes. They just didn’t like MYsweet potato casserole. I figured this out byoccasionally working them into other meals over the years. They love sweet potato fries (even opting for them over regular fries at restaurants) and one of their favoritefall dinnershas been our DIY Baked Sweet Potato Bar.

They also enjoy my Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa and Kale (although one of the kids prefers it without the blue cheese). And I’ve even started serving a much better sweet potato casserole at Thanksgiving that they LOVE and insist that I have to make more of it this year. And, yeah, it has no marshmallows on top.

But, when it comes to all the ways I’ve cooked with sweet potatoes, this Spiced Sweet Potato Skewers recipeis their winner.

Ingredients Needed for Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers:

Cooking Equipment needed for Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers:

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe (3)

Of course, what’s not to like? It includesbacon and sugar. The kids love it, I love it, and David goes CRAZY for them. They’re almost too good, so enjoy in moderation.

To get started on your Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers recipe, you’ll first peel andcut sweet potatoes into about 1 1/2″ chunks. Place them in a bowland toss witholive oil.

In a small bowl, you’ll combine brown and white sugar, as well as several spices: cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cayenne pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes.

With metal skewers, alternate achunk of sweet potatoand 1/4th of a slice of baconthat has been folded in half (or smaller if necessary). Don’t pack your sweet potato and bacon together tightly. Make sure to leave a tiny bit of room between each bacon slice and potato chuck to allow even cooking. Repeat the pattern until you have about 7 pieces of sweet potato and 6 pieces of bacon on each skewer.

Due to how firm sweet potatoes are, I do not recommend using bamboo skewers. I recommend usinggood, but basic, metal skewers.

Note: if you are wanting a vegetarian version, you can leave the bacon off. You can also use less bacon – just place 2-3 sweet potato chunks between 1 piece of bacon.

Roll each skewer in the spiced sugar mixture. You may want to presssome of the spiced sugar onto the potatoes and bacon. Tap your skewer gently to remove any excess.

Place each skewer on top of oven-safe cooling racks that are placed on top of arimmedbaking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and bacon is fully cooked. Serve and enjoy!

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe

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Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe (9)

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe

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  • Author: Brandie Valenzuela
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Description

Sugar and spice and everything nice…that’s what this Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers recipe is made of! An easy side dish, perfect for fall.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 2 pounds sweet potatoes (peeled and cut into 1 1/2″ chunks)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound sliced bacon
  • 3/4 cup light brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon cloves
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

  1. Place oven-safe cooking racks on top of a large rimmed baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
  2. Place cut sweet potatoes in a bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine. Set aside.
  3. Without separating bacon slices into individual pieces, cut entire slab of bacon slices into fourths (when laying horizontally in front of you). This is easiest by cutting slab in half and then cutting each of those portions in half again.
  4. In a small bowl, combine sugars and spices. Pour spiced sugar mixture onto a large, rimmed baking sheet.
  5. With metal skewer, slide on a chunk of sweet potato, then 1 small piece of bacon (which is 1/4th of a bacon slice) that has been folded in half (or smaller if necessary). Make sure to leave a tiny bit of room between each bacon slice and potato chuck to allow even cooking (don’t push them tightly together). Repeat pattern until you have about 7 pieces of sweet potato and 6 pieces of bacon on each skewer.
  6. Roll each skewer in the spiced sugar mixture. You may want to use your hand to hold some of the spiced sugar to press more of it onto the potatoes and bacon. Tap your skewer gently to remove any excess spiced sugar. Place skewer on top of the the cooling racks on your prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining skewers. Discard any remaining spiced sugar.
  7. Bake skewers for about 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender and bacon is fully cooked.

Notes

Note: if you are wanting a vegetarian version, you can leave the bacon off. You can also use less bacon – just place 2-3 sweet potato chunks between 1 piece of bacon.

  • Category: Side Dish
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

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Want even more potato side dishes?

My Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe ismy contribution to the November#12Bloggers Event that happens on the 12th of every month. It includes myself and 11 blogging friends and we all create recipes around a common theme — all of the recipes have 12 ingredients or less too. This months theme is Potato Side DishRecipes— here are the links to allof the other great potato side dishes:

Spiced Sweet Potato and Bacon Skewers Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the sticky liquid from sweet potato? ›

The ooze is actually referred to as "sap." It is made up of sugar and starch combined with the moisture found in the vegetable, and it escapes out of the damage made from the knife. The sap really equals the sweetness. If it's pouring out of your potato, that means it's a sweet and delicious vegetable.

Why do sweet potatoes poke holes before baking? ›

Do you have to poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking? Typically holes are poked into a sweet potato to prevent a potato exploding in your oven. However, the chance of that happening is low, and according to Lifehacker, sweet potatoes will retain more flavor if you don't poke them.

Why do you pierce sweet potatoes before baking? ›

Pierce the sweet potato with a fork or sharp knife in several places, about about 6 times. This will allow steam to escape from the potatoes while they bake. Place your clean (and jabbed) sweet potatoes on the prepped baking sheet.

How do you make Ina Garten mashed sweet potatoes? ›

Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth and transfer to a baking dish. Bake the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.

What are the white dots inside sweet potatoes? ›

All it is is just a mixture of the natural sugar. starches in water that comes out like sap. when the cell walls of the plant are damaged and cut. This is actually indication of a really fresh potato, so it may taste even sweeter and better.

When not to eat sweet potatoes? ›

How to tell if sweet potatoes have gone bad. If your sweet potato is soft in spots, smells rotten, or oozes a mysterious liquid, that potato should be discarded. Another sign that sweet potatoes have taken a turn for the worse is if they start growing stalky purplish sprouts.

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The cold water bath helps rinse the starch off the sweet potatoes so they're a bit more crispy. That said, if you do not have the time, you can still get crispy baked sweet potato fries by using high heat and a little drizzle of olive oil.

Should you wrap sweet potatoes in foil before baking? ›

Wrapping the sweet potatoes in foil ensures that they don't dry out too quickly, and allows you to add aromatics if desired. Unwrapping the sweet potatoes and increasing the oven temperature produces charred, roasted flavors and caramelizes converted sugars.

What makes sweet potatoes taste better? ›

14 Ways To Add More Flavor To Sweet Potatoes
  1. Slather with cinnamon butter. Siims/Getty Images. ...
  2. Drizzle with tahini. ...
  3. Roast with savory chili sauce. ...
  4. Sprinkle on some good ol' salt and pepper. ...
  5. Pan fry with ginger and orange. ...
  6. Rub with garlic and rosemary. ...
  7. Dip in honey mustard. ...
  8. Sweeten with brown sugar and pecans.
Feb 17, 2023

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

Can you eat raw sweet potatoes? ›

Sweet-tasting tuberous roots of sweet potato are well-rounded nutritional powerhouses with a great deal of dietary fiber, minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants [15]. Therefore, eating raw sweet potato can effectively contribute to weight loss.

Why do you put oil on sweet potatoes before baking? ›

If I'm planning to, I rub the sweet potatoes in a small amount of olive oil before baking to crisp them up and add extra flavor. After baking, let the potatoes cool slightly, split the tops open, and dot with butter that will melt from the residual heat. Season with a little salt and pepper, and you're ready to go.

How do you make Patti Labelle sweet potatoes? ›

Boil the sweet potatoes in a large stockpot until soft, about 25 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, add the butter, cream, agave, cinnamon and salt, and mash until smooth. Sprinkle with the orange zest.

How do you thicken mashed sweet potatoes? ›

What can I do if my mashed sweet potatoes are too runny? If the mixture is too runny, cook it on low heat for a few minutes to evaporate some moisture, or add a bit more mashed sweet potato to thicken it up.

What is the slime coming out of my potatoes? ›

Clostridium puniceum is a bacteria that spews a pink slime on potatoes. Sounds kind of gross, right? But ingredients in the slime may also help fight dangerous antibiotic-resistant germs like MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus).

Can you eat sweet potato sap? ›

Damaged sweet potato flesh (either by bruising, cutting, or some other preparation method) can sometimes secrete this sap, and it is completely safe to consume. These may indicate they're good for sweet potato smoothies or other delicious recipes.

What are the strings coming out of sweet potatoes? ›

Sweet potatoes stored at temperatures above 60 degrees Fahrenheit will shrivel and become dry and stringy. Sweet potatoes may develop an off-flavor and the flesh may become discolored when stored at temperatures below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why are my potatoes oozing? ›

Over time, the rot widens inside the tuber, gradually liquefying it. The bacteria can spread throughout the storage area in the ooze leaching from decaying tubers.

References

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