Sweet potatoes are, well, suh-weet.
In 1991, the Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked the sweet potato as the No. 1 veggie based on its high natural sugar content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, and calcium.
More recent scientific findings continue to build the case for the tubers. Sweet potatoes provide more calories, minerals and vitamin A but contain less protein than a white potato. The sweet potato is also high in antioxidants such as beta carotene, which may protect against some cancers, macular degeneration and heart disease.
So why do so many Americans reserve sweet potatoes for the holidays — usually in a casserole swimming in butter, brown sugar and marshmallows? It’s not uncommon to find recipes that call for as much as a stick of butter! You might as well just call it dessert.
But these Sweet Potato Napoleons deconstruct the classic ’30s-era dish, returning the casserole ingredients to savory stardom without the drippy excess.
Pump it up: This recipe was tested with both peeled and unpeeled potatoes. Leaving the skin on the sweet potato adds fiber. The skin also contains three times more antioxidants than the flesh. Jill Wendholt Silva
Makes 10 servings
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon butter, melted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Ground cinnamon
Ground nutmeg
40 miniature marshmallows
Directions
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Slice sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Spray a baking sheet with nonstick spray coating. Arrange sweet potato slices on baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 20 minutes or until just tender. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
Blend butter and brown sugar. Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste; blend well. Brush onto sweet potato slices. Arrange 4 miniature marshmallows upright on half of the potato slices. Stack a similar size potato slice on top of the marshmallows. Return to oven and continue baking 2 to 3 minutes or until marshmallows begin to melt.
Per serving: 65 calories (16 percent from fat), 1 gram total fat (1 gram saturated fat), 3 milligrams cholesterol, 13 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram protein, 19 milligrams sodium, 1 gram dietary fiber.Recipe developed by professional home economists Kathryn Moore and Roxanne Wyss.
