Cuisine: Italian

Parmesan Herb Sweet Potatoes

Family Traditions

For my family, the holidays always seem to revolve around delicious food. The second an invite for a gathering goes out, the menu planning begins. Of all the holidays throughout the year, Thanksgiving is the one that we just don’t mess with in regards to the menu 😉 We eat the same thing every year, everyone has their signature dish that they like to bring, and we don’t veer from the usual.

With that being said, I’ve tried to sneak in a little something unexpected the last few years. The health nut inside of me just can’t help it! With all of the heavy casseroles filling our plates, I like to share a dish that’s light and fresh, too. One year it was roasted brussels sprouts with a maple citrus vinaigrette. Another year I took a paleo version of sweet potato casserole. This year, I’m taking these savory parmesan herb sweet potatoes. I’ve been experimenting with this recipe and after rave reviews, I’m making an executive decision to add them to the blog! These are perfect for a Friendsgiving, Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner or even a fun weeknight meal with your family.

Health Benefits

Before I share the recipe, I’d love to tell you about some of the health benefits of my favorite root veggie, the sweet potato. Many people know this versatile vegetable to be full of fiber but that’s not all! It’s also full of vitamins and minerals such as several B vitamins, C vitamins, iron, selenium, and calcium as well as an antioxidant called beta-carotene which gives it that vibrant orange color. So not only do they taste awesome, they are good for you, too!

So let’s get started, shall we?

First, you’ll want to peel 5 large sweet potatoes and slice them about 1/2 inch thick.

Next, in a gallon sized storage bag, toss in 1/2 of the sweet potatoes (I only prepped 1/2 of the sweet potatoes at a time because I couldn’t fit all of the potatoes in the bag at once) and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil. Then, add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Seal the bag and toss them until all of the potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange them in a well oiled 13×9 baking dish. Repeat the process with the remaining sweet potatoes, oil, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Arrange the second batch of potatoes in the same baking dish. To finish, sprinkle a tablespoon or so of fresh thyme on top and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour.

Pretty simple, right?

These herby (is that a word?) little round sweet potatoes are rock-your-world yummy and I can’t wait for you to try them! 🙂

Notes

Make sure you use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Don’t use the unrefrigerated kind because not only is it full of preservatives and junk, it doesn’t melt the same as the real stuff. Trust me on this one 😉

About 1/2 way through the cooking time, you can cover your potatoes with foil to avoid them getting too dark on top.

After an hour of baking, take them out of the oven. Poke one of the center potatoes with a fork to test it’s doneness. If the fork goes in easy, they are done! If not, let them bake a little longer and test them again.

This recipe would also taste great with a variety of other root veggies. You might try layering white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and purple sweet potatoes to switch it up a bit if you’re feeling adventurous!

Print Recipe
 Parmesan Herb Sweet Potatoes
These savory sweet potatoes are a delicious side to take to a gathering or even make at home for meal prep.
Course Side dish
Cuisine Christmas, Family Dinner, Friendsgiving, Italian, Thanksgiving
Keyword christmas dish, easy, easy recipe, eat move live happy, Friendsgiving, garlic, herb, holiday dish, italian, parmesan cheese, parmesan herb sweet potatoes, side dish, sweet potato, Thanksgiving
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
13x9 dish
Ingredients
Course Side dish
Cuisine Christmas, Family Dinner, Friendsgiving, Italian, Thanksgiving
Keyword christmas dish, easy, easy recipe, eat move live happy, Friendsgiving, garlic, herb, holiday dish, italian, parmesan cheese, parmesan herb sweet potatoes, side dish, sweet potato, Thanksgiving
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 1 hour
Servings
13x9 dish
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. First, peel 5 large sweet potatoes and slice them about 1/2 inch thick.
  2. In a gallon sized storage bag, toss in 1/2 of the sweet potatoes (I only prepped 1/2 of the sweet potatoes at a time because I couldn't fit all of the potatoes in the bag at once) and drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
  3. Add 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, 1/2 tsp italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Save the remaining cheese and seasonings for the remaining potatoes.
  4. Seal the bag and toss them until all of the potatoes are evenly coated.
  5. Arrange them in a well greased 13x9 baking dish. I used spray oil.
  6. Repeat the process with the remaining sweet potatoes, oil, parmesan cheese, and seasonings. Arrange the second batch of potatoes in the same baking dish.
  7. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of fresh thyme on top and bake at 400 degrees for about an hour. They are ready when a fork can easily go into the center of a potato.
Recipe Notes
  • Make sure you use freshly grated parmesan cheese. Don't use the unrefrigerated kind because not only is it full of preservatives and junk, it doesn't melt the same as the real stuff. Trust me on this one 😉
  • About 1/2 way through the cooking time, you can cover your potatoes with foil to avoid them getting too dark on top.
  • After an hour of baking, take them out of the oven. Poke one of the center potatoes with a fork to test it's doneness. If the fork goes in easy, they are done! If not, let them bake a little longer and test them again.
  • This recipe would also taste great with a variety of other root veggies. You might try layering white potatoes, sweet potatoes, and purple sweet potatoes to switch it up a bit if you're feeling adventurous!

Family Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

The Story:

If you’re like us, spaghetti makes a regular appearance on your dinner table. There are many, many times that I just buy the jarred kind and doctor it up myself. I thought it would be fun to do something a little different this time around because this was our “Back to School” celebration dinner! I always get a little anxious when I make a new recipe from scratch for my family because I never know exactly how it will be received. There have been a few times that I ended up eating things myself because the kids aren’t into it but that was not the case with this sauce! They were actually HUGE fans of it and begged to have leftovers the next night, too.

This is actually a semi-homemade sauce, making it very easy to throw together. I use canned tomatoes a lot in my cooking because they are easy and take out the prep work of chopping all those tomatoes. The tomato paste is a key component in this sauce because it give it that rich, authentic flavor like it’s been cooking all day long. No one has to know it’s only been cooking for a few hours (that can be our little secret).

The Method:

First, chop the onion. On medium heat, saute it in a large pot with the oil until soft and translucent (about 10 mins). Then, add in the minced garlic and cook an additional 2-3 mins.

I like to puree the onions and garlic to give the sauce a smoother texture. You can skip this step if you don’t mind the onions. To puree, add the onions and garlic to a blender with 1 can of tomato sauce and blend until it’s smooth. You can also use an immersion blender here if you have one.

Add the pureed mixture back to pot with all of the remaining ingredients (except the ground beef). Stir the sauce and let it simmer on low for 4 hours. You can add water to the sauce if it gets too thick. The amount of water you add depends on how think you want your sauce.

In the last 30 minutes, prepare the ground beef in a skillet on med-high heat. It should be well done before adding to the sauce. Once it’s cooked, add it to the sauce and stir well to combine. Once the beef is added, the sauce is complete and ready to eat! We enjoy spaghetti several different ways in our house. My kids love it over traditional pasta. Sometimes I like to eat it over veggies like zucchini, broccoli, or cauliflower. I recently toasted a slice of sourdough and topped it with a big scoop of sauce and parmesan cheese. It was incredible!

Notes:

When adding the parmesan cheese, use freshly grated, not the stuff in a can. The fresh kind has a more robust flavor and melts into the cheese better than the alternative.

For the liquid, anything will work. It tends to get thick as it cooks so you might find that you’re adding more liquid towards the middle to end of the cooking time. You might end up adding more than 1/2 cup as well. I add about a cup when I make this recipe.

The key to achieving an authentic tasting sauce is to allow it to simmer for a several hours (4+ hours). If you won’t be home and don’t have time to cook this sauce on the stove top, you can always put it in the crock-pot on low for 4-6 hours. 

Print Recipe
 Family Favorite Spaghetti Sauce
This sauce is thick and bursting with robust flavor. It tastes amazing over pasta or on top of your favorite veggies for a lower carb option.
Course Sauces
Cuisine Italian
Keyword italian, sauce, tomato
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4+ hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Course Sauces
Cuisine Italian
Keyword italian, sauce, tomato
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 4+ hours
Servings
people
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. First, chop the onion. On medium heat, saute it in a large pot with the oil until soft and translucent (about 10 mins). Then, add in the minced garlic and cook an additional 2-3 mins.
  2. I like to puree the onions and garlic to give the sauce a smoother texture. You can skip this step if you don't mind the onions. To puree, add the onions and garlic to a blender with 1 can of tomato sauce and blend until it's smooth. You can also use an immersion blender here if you have one.
  3. Add the pureed mixture back to pot with all of the remaining ingredients (except the ground beef). Stir the sauce and let it simmer on low for 4 hours. You can add water to the sauce if it gets too thick. The amount of water you add depends on how think you want your sauce.
  4. In the last 30 minutes, prepare the ground beef in a skillet on med-high heat. It should be well done before adding to the sauce. Once it's cooked, add it to the sauce and stir well to combine. Once the beef is added, the sauce is complete and ready to eat!