Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (2024)

February 25, 2015 by Ciara Attwell, Updated October 19, 2021

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Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (1)

Delicious smashed sweet potatoes topped with sundried tomato and spinach pesto.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (2)

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?!

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (3)

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (4)

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.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (5)

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.

Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Sundried Tomato & Spinach Pesto - My Fussy Eater | Easy Family Recipes (6)

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 youliked 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 onInstagram.I always love to see your creations!

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)

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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.

FAQs

Are sweet potatoes good for you? ›

Just one sweet potato gives you 102% of the vitamin A you need each day. This helps keep your eyes healthy as well as your immune system, your body's defense against germs. It's also good for your reproductive system and organs like your heart and kidneys.

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How to boil a sweet potato? ›

Cut into eighths and place in a large pot. Add enough water to just cover the potatoes, and a pinch of salt. Boil sweet potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes, until they are tender when pierced with a fork. It will take less time if you cut the sweet potatoes into smaller pieces.

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What happens to your body when you eat sweet potatoes? ›

They're high in fiber and antioxidants, which protect your body from free radical damage and promote a healthy gut and brain. They're also incredibly rich in beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A to support good vision and your immune system.

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Are sweet potatoes actually healthier than potatoes? ›

In terms of micronutrients, boiled sweet potatoes come out on top in terms of vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosphorus while the regular potato wins when it comes to potassium, Vitamin B1 and folic acid. Next up, we compared a baked sweet potato with a baked white potato.

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Is it better to bake or boil sweet potatoes? ›

Baking can also cause an 80% drop in vitamin A levels, twice as much as boiling. Therefore, from a nutritional standpoint, boiling rather than baking should be recommended for cooking sweet potato.

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Should you peel sweet potatoes before boiling? ›

Do I Need to Peel Before Boiling? You do not need to peel sweet potatoes before boiling. If leaving the peel on, you will need to pierce the skin of the potato with a fork a few times. Also, boiling a sweet potato with the peel will require slightly more time for it to cook through.

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Is it healthier to microwave or boil sweet potatoes? ›

All foods lose some of their nutritional value once they've been cooked. But, microwaved sweet potatoes actually retain more of their nutrients as opposed to boiled sweet potatoes. So, if you're ready to see how this little kitchen hack can change your life then continue reading.

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Is it OK to eat a sweet potato everyday? ›

If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.

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Are sweet potatoes healthy for losing weight? ›

Absolutely. Besides their health benefits, sweet potatoes are a great addition to any weight loss diet. First up, they're very high in fibre — especially soluble fibre. Soluble fibre is excellent because it slows down your digestion and helps you feel full, which can curb the urge to snack between meals.

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What is the healthiest way to eat sweet potatoes? ›

Boiling sweet potatoes retains more beta-carotene and makes the nutrient more absorbable than other cooking methods such as baking or frying. Up to 92% of the nutrient can be retained by limiting the cook time, such as boiling in a pot with a tightly covered lid for 20 minutes.