Sweet potato jack-o'-lanterns

Kick off the holiday season with this fun take on the nutritious sweet potato.

Contributed by Anna Buss


Sweet potato jack-o'-lanterns

Halloween marks the beginning of the holiday season — a celebratory and sometimes overwhelming time of year. Despite the many treats and candy that are marketed to us, it’s also possible to enjoy healthy and seasonal options. For Halloween, I like to create dishes that showcase the iconic jack-o'-lantern. This sweet potato recipe is a twist on the classic pumpkin version, and a simple way to make a festive snack for the whole family.

Servings: 2 to 3 (yields about 12 jack-o’-lanterns)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sweet potatoes (about 2 to 3, depending on size)
  • 2 tablespoons sunflower oil
  • 1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Peel potato and slice into 1/4-inch discs. Place potato discs in a pot with plenty of cold water. Bring the water to boil and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain the potatoes. Use a paring knife to cut triangle eyes and a mouth on each disc.
  3. Brush a roasting pan with enough sunflower oil to coat the pan. Heat the pan in the oven for about 8 minutes until it starts smoking. Remove the pan from the oven and carefully place the sweet potatoes on the hot pan. Sprinkle the sweet potato discs with salt and brush the tops with sunflower oil.
  4. Place the roasting pan on the highest rack of the oven and bake for about 30 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
  5. Serve as a side dish or a snack.

Nutrition information (per serving)

  • Calories: 40
  • Total fat: 2.5 g
  • Saturated fat: 0 g
  • Cholesterol: 0 mg
  • Sodium: 35 mg
  • Total carbohydrate: 5 g
  • Dietary fiber: 1 g
  • Total sugars: 2 g (0 g added sugars)
  • Protein: 0 g