Roasted Sweet Potato Rounds
Sweet potatoes sliced into quarter inch coins and roasted at 425 degrees until both flat faces caramelize. A side dish, a salad topping, and a base for anything you want to pile on top.
Servings 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Rounds
- 2 pounds sweet potatoes about 3 medium, scrubbed, skin on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- ½ teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Optional
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
Instructions
Slice and Season
- Heat the oven to 425 degrees F.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes, trim the ends, and slice crosswise into even ¼ inch coins.
- Spread the coins on a towel and pat both faces dry.
- Toss the coins in a large bowl with the olive oil until every face has a thin sheen, then add half the salt, the pepper, the smoked paprika, and the garlic powder if using, and toss until evenly colored.
Roast
- Lay the coins flat on an unlined metal sheet pan in a single layer with a little space around each one. Use two pans rather than crowding one.
- Roast 15 minutes, then flip each coin with a thin spatula.
- Roast another 12 to 15 minutes, until the faces are deep bronze at the edges and a fork slips easily into the center of a coin.
- Salt with the remaining half teaspoon straight out of the oven, scatter over the parsley if using, and serve hot.
Notes
- Thickness rules everything: ¼ inch is the target. ⅛ inch scorches, and ½ inch turns soft and velvety with little browning, so drop the oven to 400 degrees F and add 10 minutes for thicker slices.
- 425 for thin coins: At 400 degrees F a quarter inch coin softens through before the face takes on color.
- Dry both faces: Freshly cut sweet potato is wet, and wet surfaces steam instead of browning.
- No parchment: A bare metal pan is where the browning comes from.
- If a coin sticks when you flip it, give it two more minutes. It releases on its own once the face has browned.
- Storage: 4 days refrigerated. Reheat on a wire rack at 425 degrees F for 6 to 8 minutes.