Delicious smashed sweet potatoes topped with sundried tomato and spinach pesto.
Sweet Potatoes... I love them. Mashed, roasted, chipped, I could happily eat them every day.
Unfortunately my fussy eating family don't share the same kind of enthusiasm and so I am forced to come up with more and more creative ways to encourage them to eat these them!
Smashed potato recipes have been all over Pinterest for a little while now so I thought why not try it with sweet potatoes instead and add a tasty pesto topping. Cause surely everything tastes better with a pesto topping right?!
If you are thinking that this recipe sounds a lot more work than normal roasted sweet potatoes then fear not. You simply parboil the sweet potatoes, smash them with a masher (kids will love helping with this part!) and then put them in the oven to bake.
The pesto topping is even easier to make. Just whack the ingredients into a food processor and blitz until combined.
My recipe makes quite a large batch of pesto and you probably won't use it all on the sweet potatoes but it will keep in the fridge for 4 or 5 days.
Use it with pasta, on top of fish or chicken or mix it with hummus for a delicious dip. It also freezes really well. I freeze portions in freezer bags.
You can then defrost it by leaving it at room temperature for a couple of hours. If you are in a rush simply pop the plastic bag into a bowl of hot water and it will defrost in a few minutes.
It really is a handy little thing to have in the fridge or freezer for emergency dinners.
If you're thinking "Why bother making your own pesto, the jarred stuff is just fine", then to be honest I kinda agree with you.
The are so many fantastic brands of jarred pesto out there but for me nothing beats the fresh tasting flavours of homemade pesto. Plus, you can control what ingredients go in to it.
In this recipe I have sneaked in some spinach; one of those veggies that is otherwise impossible to get my fussy brood to eat.
Of course the pesto topping isn't necessary for the smashed potatoes. You could add any topping or sauce you wish, or even eat them all on their lonesome. It's up to you! So what are you waiting for? Let's get potato smashing!!
If you liked my Smashed Sweet Potatoes recipe, then please do leave me a comment and a star rating below. You can also share your pictures with me on Instagram. I always love to see your creations!
Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: European
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Delicious smashed sweet potatoes topped with sundried tomato and spinach pesto
Ingredients
- Sweet Potatoes:
- 4 small sweet potatoes (approx 500g)
- ½ tbsp oil
- Pesto:
- 280g / 1.5 cups sundried tomatoes (including the oil)
- 100g / 3 cups fresh spinach
- 150ml extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 50g grated parmesan (can use vegan or vegetarian cheese too)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200c / 400f.
- Wash the sweet potatoes well, removing any blackened bits. Cut them in half and add them to a pan of boiling water. Simmer on a medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until they are just getting tender.
- Drain the water away and add the sweet potatoes to a baking tray. Drizzle on the oil and toss until coated. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the sweet pototo skins start to get crispy on the outside.
- Meanwhile make the pesto by placing all the ingredients in a food processor and blitzing until combined. You may want to add the olive oil in stages as some people prefer more or less oil in their pesto.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through, remove from the oven and top with the pesto. Serve immediately
Notes
This recipe makes more pesto than you will need for the sweet potatoes. However it can be stored in the fridge for 4 or 5 days or frozen into portion in individual freezer bags or ice cube trays.
Tabitha says
Yay! I'd stopped eating sweet potatoes as I'd run out of ideas of how to cook and serve them but these are a new family favourite and the "squashing" is very satisfying!!
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
Sweet potatoes are one of those foods that needed to exist.
Ciara Attwell says
Absolutely! I just wish the rest of my family agreed!!!
Claire Manning says
Some of my favourite things! sweet potatoes, pesto and squashing!! well done Ci!
Ciara Attwell says
Awww thanks Claire. They are pretty yummy indeed!