How To Cook White Sweet Potatoes – 3 Tasty And Easy Recipes - Simply Healthy Family (2024)

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There’s a lot of different ways to cook white sweet potatoes. It’s quite a versatile food, and you can use it as a cornerstone of many different dishes. It’s inexpensive, and it is available at all times of the year, so you will always be able to get some at your local grocery store.

There are also a lot of different kinds of potatoes, allowing for plenty of great variations on standard potato dishes that you can try. It’s easy to modify them, and preparing various kinds of potatoes is mostly the same in the end.

The white sweet potato is an often overlooked type of potato that can improve some common potato dishes massively, and today, we will cover some of the great recipes you can make with it.

What Are White Sweet Potatoes?

How To Cook White Sweet Potatoes – 3 Tasty And Easy Recipes - Simply Healthy Family (1)

You might not have heard about white sweet potatoes, and that’s not surprising since they are not quite as common as the other types of sweet potatoes. As you might know, sweet potatoes can come in a wide variety of different skin colors – yellow, red, brown, and so on.

Different flesh colors like white, orange, yellow, and even purple are also out there. However, the most common type of sweet potato is the one with copper-colored skin and soft orange flesh. The other main type comes with golden skin and white flesh, which is the one we will cover today.

The white sweet potatoes are less sweet than the orange variant, making them well-suited for dishes that require a bit less flavor from their simple ingredients.

They can also be used with a wider variety of spices since their natural flavor won’t overpower the spices used in the dish. They can add that little bit of sweetness and texture without dominating the dish, a unique mild flavor compared to the typical sweet potato or the orange variety.

Don’t confuse sweet potatoes with yams, though; that’s a completely different story.Orange sweet potatoestend to be labeled as yams as a way to distinguish them from white sweet potatoes. However, yams are a completely different sort of vegetable, and you shouldn’t mistake them for sweet potatoes.

The Nutrition White Sweet Potatoes Provides

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In general, sweet potatoes of all kinds arehealthier than regular potatoes, even though both are good in moderation. There are a lot of reasons why sweet potatoes surpass regular potatoes as a healthier food item.

First is the fact that they contain more antioxidants, which are beneficial for people with high blood pressure. The other one is that, despite what their sweetness may lead you to think, they actually contain fewer carbs than regular potatoes, on average.

They also contain a lot more vitamin A and vitamin C, which are both essential for a healthy, balanced diet. There’s more, but going into every detail might be a little too much for this article.

When it comes to nutrition, white sweet potatoes aren’t much different than orange sweet potatoes. They contain slightly fewer antioxidants, but that’s about it. The main difference is in the taste rather than in the nutrition.

Skin vs. No Skin

Some people will tell you to take off the sweet potato skin when baking or cooking them, but others will swear by it and say that taking the skin off is a bad thing to do. So, what’s the deal? Well, we looked into it, and here’s some info we came across.

Overall,the skin of a sweet potato is extremely beneficialand contains plenty of useful nutrients that you shouldn’t pass up. It’s rich in Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and Beta-Carotene, which are all essential to a healthy and balanced diet. If you take off the skin, you make the sweet potato a lot less nutritionally beneficial for yourself.

Of course, you should wash the potatoes thoroughly before eating them since a lot of dirt can be gathered up in the skin. This is where the myth of the potato skin being inedible or bad for you comes from – badly washed potatoes that made people sick.

It was not the fault of the skin, but rather the people preparing the meals that used it – don’t make the same mistake.

The 3 Best White Sweet Potato Recipes We Can Recommend

Let’s get right down to it and go through some of the best white sweet potato recipes we know of. Most of them are relatively easy to make, and you should be able to find all the ingredients at your local grocery store. You will be able to cook up some of them in no time at all.

So, let’s begin with one of our favorites.

White Sweet Potatoes with Mirin and Honey

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This is the perfect side dish that can be served with a wide variety of main dishes, likepork chopsor a roasted turkey. It can be a great addition to your holiday table or Thanksgiving table. It can also be served as an appetizer or even as a dessert if you don’t want something too sweet and carb-heavy. It’s quite a versatile dish.

Ingredients You Need

  • 2 pounds of white sweet potatoes,
  • half a cup ofmirinor some other sweet wine,
  • 2 tablespoons of honey,
  • 1 tablespoon of distilled white vinegar,
  • half a tablespoon of salt,
  • 2 teaspoons of corn oil or some equivalent substitute,
  • 2 tablespoons of butter, and
  • some sea salt, which is optional.

Making this dish might seem complicated at first glance, but it’s not.

Recipe Instructions

  1. First, you should put a cast-iron skillet in the oven to preheat it. The oven should be at around 450 degrees.
  2. You start out by microwaving the potatoes on high for around 5 minutes.
  3. After that, you wisk the honey, vinegar, andmirinwith salt in a small to medium-sized bowl.
  4. Now peel the potatoes and cut them into round slices, preferably not more than 1 inch thick, then add them to the mixture you made and leave it to coat.
  5. Now, take out the skillet and add oil onto it before tossing the potatoes, cut side down, onto it.
  6. Bake them for around fifteen to twenty minutes, until they caramelize, then turn them over and cook them for five to ten more minutes until they are tender.
  7. After that, transfer them to a platter and scrape the brown parts off.
  8. Add some melted butter, sauce, and salt to them for seasoning, and it is done!

You can also experiment with other spices when making this dish, and some of us have found that we like it a lot with some wasabi. Try it out and see how you feel about it.

White Sweet Potato Pie

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You can whip this pie up in almost no time at all, and it will be a great fit for nearly every dinner table. It can be served standalone or as a nice and healthy dessert.

Ingredients You Need

  • 1stick of butteror margarine,
  • 2 cups of sugar or stevia,
  • 2 eggs,
  • 2 tablespoons of flour,
  • 1 cup of mashed white sweet potatoes,
  • 3 tablespoons of vanilla, and
  • A pie crust.

Recipe Instructions

  1. Start by boiling the potatoes until they are soft, draining the water they were boiled in, then adding a bit of milk and mashing them.
  2. After that, melt the stick of butter in a pan, add the sugar and eggs to it, then mix it all until it becomes creamy.
  3. Follow that up by adding the flour and the mashed potatoes to the mix before pouring it all into a premade pie crust.
  4. Bake the pie at 300 or 350 degrees until it becomes firm and takes on a golden brown color.
  5. Take it out and serve it while still hot for the best results!

Roasted White Sweet Potatoes

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Roasted White Sweet Potatoes

Here, we have a nice and savory dish that can be served as a good appetizer or just a light and tasty snack that doesn’t contain a lot of carbs or fat. You can also replace some of the seasonings here with different ingredients and experiment until you get the recipe down to how you like it.

Ingredients You Need

  • 4 medium-sized white sweet potatoes,
  • 3 medium-sized red onions,
  • 3 tablespoons of olive oil,
  • 2 tablespoons of choppedrosemary (fresh, not dried),
  • 1 tablespoon of sea salt,
  • 1 cup of grated parmesan, and
  • A dash of chili powder and garlic powder for extra flavor (optional).

Recipe Instructions

  1. Begin by cutting the potatoes into one-inch pieces (peel them before cutting, if you want) and chopping the red onions into slightly smaller pieces.
  2. Put in the oil and toss it around before adding one tablespoon of chopped rosemary, preferably fresh, and spread it all out on a roasting pan.
  3. Roast it all at around 400 degrees for around thirty to forty minutes.
  4. After that, add in the second tablespoon of chopped rosemary as well as the grated parmesan and salt, then toss it all and serve!

You can also experiment with adding a few more different spices orreplacing rosemary with a different seasoning. We like adding some black pepper to the recipe for extra spice!

FAQs About White Sweet Potatoes

Is it better to boil or bake white sweet potatoes?

Well, there’s a different answer for different cooking methods. Baking at high temperatures brings out more of their natural sweet flavor, making them crispy white sweet potatoes.

On the other hand, boiling is a quicker cooking method that’s great if you want to mash or puree them. I’d go with baking if I want them as a side dish, but boiling works well for sweet potato soup.

Do you have to peel white sweet potatoes?

Nope, the skin on white sweet potatoes is totally edible! It has lots of fiber and nutrients. Personally though, I find peeling them gives a smoother, creamier texture in dishes like pies or mashed potatoes. But you can cook them with the skin on if you wash them well and don’t mind the texture.

What are some alternative ways to enjoy white sweet potatoes?

Some different ways to enjoy white sweet potatoes include pairing them with bbq chicken or creating a unique twist on traditional recipes using handful of ingredients.

You can also make white sweet potato fries by cutting them into medallion shapes or strips, tossing them with avocado oil and baking until they reach a nice golden-brown color.

Are white sweet potatoes good for diabetics?

They can be! Compared to regular white potatoes, white sweet potatoes have a lower glycemic index, meaning they don’t spike blood sugar as dramatically. But as with anything, it comes down to portions and your overall diet balance. In reasonable amounts they’re a tasty option for diabetics looking for variety.

How do you know when white sweet potatoes are cooked?

Poke them with a fork to check! Once a fork slides smoothly into the thickest part without much resistance, they’re good to go. Exact cooking times vary depending on whether you boil, bake, or roast them. Just keep testing them until they feel nice and tender all the way through.

Conclusion

Those are the best recipes for white sweet potatoes that we could find, and they are all relatively straightforward and easy to make. You should try them out and see for yourself! Once you get the hang of them, you can also modify them to your liking with ease.

Latif Jamani

+ posts

How To Cook White Sweet Potatoes – 3 Tasty And Easy Recipes - Simply Healthy Family (2024)

FAQs

What is the healthiest way to cook sweet potatoes? ›

Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato. Boiling may theoretically be best, but sweet potatoes are so incredibly healthy that the actual best way to prepare them is whichever way will get you to eat the most of them!

Is there such a thing as a white sweet potato? ›

The two most common white-fleshed sweet potatoes are Boniato, also called batata, or Cuban sweet potato, and the Japanese sweet potato, also called the satsuma-imo. The big difference between the two is the skin color: Japanese sweet potatoes have a pinkish brown skin and the outer skin of a boniato is light tan.

Is it healthier to bake or microwave a sweet potato? ›

It's really the best way. Microwaving sweet potatoes cuts down cook time by 45 to 55 minutes, and, according to a 2018 study, helps maintain the potato's nutritional value. All cooking methods cause foods to lose some of their nutrients, but the quicker your potato cooks, the more nutrients it will retain.

Are white sweet potatoes healthier than regular potatoes? ›

Sweet potatoes are often touted as being healthier than white potatoes, but in reality, both types can be highly nutritious. While regular and sweet potatoes are comparable in their calorie, protein, and carb content, white potatoes provide more potassium, whereas sweet potatoes are incredibly high in vitamin A.

Is it better to boil or bake sweet potatoes? ›

If you're trying to make the most out of your sweet potatoes and mitigate a potential spike in blood sugar, Sapola suggests boiling this veggie rather than roasting it. "The preparation technique for a sweet potato can drastically affect the glycemic impact of that sweet potato," Sapola explains.

Should I boil sweet potatoes with or without skin? ›

Boiling With or Without Skin

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite.

Are white sweet potatoes still healthy? ›

White sweet potatoes won't have as much beta carotene content, but they're still a good choice nutritionally. Visually, the white sweet potato can better replicate the appearance of classic potatoes.

What is a white sweet potato called? ›

White Sweet Potatoes

Yellow to cream-colored flesh and skin color. Slightly drier than the orange fleshed varieties, these semi-moist sweet potatoes have a mild, nutty taste. White sweet potato varieties include Bonita, O'Henry, DS White, Hannah and Jersey.

What is the difference between white sweet potatoes and sweet potatoes? ›

White-fleshed sweet potatoes have a milder flavor and a drier, starchier texture compared to orange sweet potatoes. They are lower in beta-carotene but still contain essential nutrients like vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber.

Why not to boil sweet potatoes? ›

Despite their sweet taste, these potatoes have an intermediate glycemic index (GI) level, meaning they are digested and absorbed fairly slowly, leading to a more gradual increase in blood sugar levels. But, a lot of these benefits, including nutrients and taste, can be lost by boiling sweet potatoes.

Are oven baked sweet potatoes good for you? ›

Sweet potatoes are incredibly rich in beta carotene, the antioxidant responsible for the vegetable's bright orange color. In fact, one cup (200 g) of baked orange sweet potato with skin provides more than double the amount of beta carotene that the average adult needs per day ( 2 ).

Does cooking a sweet potato longer make it softer? ›

The potato pulled at 1 hour reached about 180 degrees, the 2-hour potato reached about 190 degrees, and the 3-hour potato reached about 200 degrees. Only the potato that cooked for the full 3 hours boasted the creamy, soft consistency and caramelized sweetness I wanted.

Which kind of sweet potato is healthiest? ›

Sweet Potatoes and Health

Sweet potatoes with orange flesh are richest in beta-carotene. Sweet potatoes with purple flesh are richer in anthocyanins. Beta-carotene and anthocyanins are naturally occurring plant “phyto” chemicals that give vegetables their bright colors.

Which is healthier white or orange sweet potato? ›

When it comes to white and orange potatoes, the nutritional differences are quite distinct! The orange-fleshed potatoes, like sweet potatoes, pack a punch with beta-carotene, which is excellent for your eyes and skin. They're a superb source of vitamin A. On the other hand, the white ones might not be as flashy in...

What is the healthiest potato to eat? ›

Which Potatoes Are the Healthiest?
  1. Purple Potatoes. Purple potatoes are packed with beneficial plant compounds, including anthocyanins (a type of antioxidant). ...
  2. Red Potatoes. Red potatoes are an excellent source of flavonoid antioxidants like quercetin, kaempferol-rutinose, catechin, and rutin. ...
  3. Sweet Potatoes.
Mar 5, 2024

Is a baked sweet potato healthy? ›

Sweet potatoes are nutrient-dense root vegetables that come in a variety of colors. They're high in fiber and antioxidants, which protect your body from free radical damage and promote a healthy gut and brain.

Does roasting sweet potatoes destroy nutrients? ›

The study did find that boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes it more absorbable than other cooking methods, such as frying, baking or steaming. Though this is the case, roasting sweet potatoes retained more anthocyanins than the other cooking methods.

Does frying sweet potatoes remove nutrients? ›

Boiling retained more iron and copper while frying retained more zinc, magnesium, sodium and calcium in both Irish and sweet potato tubers. Boiling retained more carbohydrate while frying retained more vitamin C and minerals.

What is the healthiest part of a sweet potato? ›

Sweet potato skins are safe to eat and can be easily added to most recipes. They're rich in fiber, other nutrients, and antioxidants that can help support a healthy gut, increase feelings of fullness, and prevent chronic disease. If you're looking to get the most nutrition out of your sweet potato, keep the peel on.

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