Roasted sweet potatoes with brown butter-sage sauce

It’s finally happened, y’all; cool autumn air has finally arrived at my house! Some of you have had it for awhile; I’ve tried not to be envious.

I’ve been buying quilts over the last few months, just preparing for the arrival of winter; I’ve been doing canning and freezing, when I could, with the delicious things I’ve bought at farmers markets over the summer. I absolutely feel happiest when it’s cold outside…as long as the power stays on…but I digress.

Speaking of farmers markets, I stopped by the one in Mineola today, and picked up some sweet potatoes from a farmer, as well as some Japanese eggplant.

Sweet potatoes are a favorite of mine; often when I order steak in a restaurant, I’ll order a sweet potato on the side instead of a white potato, if offered. They’re so good with just a little butter melting inside. Sweet potatoes don’t just have to be covered with brown sugar and marshmallows, right?

Here’s a great recipe for sweet potatoes that I think you’ll like, if you’re a fan of these colorful, sweet, good-for-you tubers. The potatoes are roasted, which makes them nice and chewy-soft, and the sauce has a fabulous flavor that I think you’ll love!

Roasted sweet potatoes with sage-brown butter sauce

2 1/2 to 3 pounds sweet potatoes
olive oil for drizzling
1/2 stick butter
2 TBS maple syrup
2 TBS fresh sage, minced

Method:

Wash, peel and chop raw sweet potatoes into about 3/4 to 1 inch dice.
Spread diced potatoes out on a rimmed baking sheet.
Drizzle a tablespoon or two of olive oil over the sweet potatoes, and toss to coat thoroughly.
Spread the oiled potatoes out on the baking sheet in a single layer, and bake at 350 for 30 minutes. (if at the end of 30 minutes you feel you would like the chunks softer, roast for another five minutes.
When there are only about five minutes left in the potatoes’ roasting time, make the sauce: place the butter in a sauce pan or small frying pan over medium heat, stirring. When butter starts to foam a bit and becomes a golden brown on the bottom, remove from heat, and stir in syrup and minced sage.
Place the roasted potatoes into a serving dish and drizzle with the sauce, gently tossing. Serve warm. They reheat well, if needed.

I truly hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. I grow sage in a pot with some other herbs on my porch, so it was easy for me to access. You can also use about half as much dried sage, if you have no fresh.

I served these potatoes tonight with a pork loin roast that I had stuffed with garlic (it was scrumptious!) and some fresh snap beans I’d cooked with a chunk of bacon fat. Mmm Mmmm Mmmm. My mama’s style of doing things! It was a fabulous dinner and my boys were thrilled. So was I!

I hope that your fall cooking brings you comfort, enjoyment, and time with loved ones around a table. And if you try this recipe, or if you have one to share with me, please join me here on my Facebook page to talk about it with me!

You might also like: Savory bacon-veggie hotcakes: one pan, loads of flavor.

German potato bake: definitely not a “light” recipe, but they are so decadent that once in a while, it’s worth it!