Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Bacon are holiday-worthy for two very important reasons: bacon and bacon drippings. Bacon and celebrations go hand in hand. The holidays are awesome and amazing and delicious and …. stressful and tiring. This recipe not only makes it all better, but rewards you for making it through Thanksgiving (and Black Friday), holiday cookie swaps, office parties, and … the mall. Yes. You need a skillet of Maple Roasted Sweet Potatoes with bacon..
This recipe is also a super easy holiday hit that will take some pressure off upcoming holiday parties and cooking. It was a hit at Thanksgiving and is back on the menu for Christmas Day. Of course, you can be extra greedy and just make it for yourself. I won’t judge (she says through a mouthful of maple-caramelized sweet potatoes mixed with bacon).
I used Grapeseed oil, but choose any vegetable oil that you love.
Roast the sweet potatoes on a tray and then add to a warmed skillet or casserole dish for serving.
Another way to prep sweet potatoes for the holidays is the Coca-Cola Candied Sweet Potatoes. Spiced to bring nostalgia to your plate!
Take some extra time in the kitchen to follow important prep and food safety tips. Especially in the holiday chaos, it’s easy to cross-contaminate or forget that extra step or proper temperature that keeps our family and friends happy and healthy. One of the ways that I keep track is to make a written meal plan with reminders next to each item on best way to heat up and temps to measure for doneness. I keep that plan front and center in the kitchen.
Wishing you all Happy and Safe Holidays! Enjoy all of the delicious food and time with those you love!
I am delighted to be partnering with the Partnership for Food Safety Education for The Story of Your Dinner (storyofyourdinner.org) to bring you not only the sweet potatoes recipe but some handy hints for food prep and safety.
Don’t forget to check out the Holiday Food Safety Resources video and all of the Southern Sides for your holidays!
**As a note, I received compensation for this recipe and my participation.
Ingredients: (serves 4-6)
- 3 large sweet potatoes
- ½ pound thick cut bacon
- 2 tablespoons of Maple Syrup
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil (I used Grapeseed)
- 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings (Or skip this and add an extra ½ tablespoon of syrup and ½ tablespoon of your oil)
- Salt and Pepper
Directions:
Set oven to 400F.
Cook the bacon in a skillet until done. I like to cut the bacon with scissors before cooking for the bacon bits. In a separate large deep skillet, cook the bacon over medium -high heat until browned and crisp. Be sure to wash your hands after handling the raw bacon. After bacon is brown and crisp remove from the skillet and set aside. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings for the sweet potato marinade. Allow the bacon oil to cool and then dump into a trash bag that is immediately taken outside.
While the bacon is cooking, scrub the sweet potatoes with a vegetable brush while holding under cold running water, then peel them and rinse again. Cut sweet potatoes into approximately 1 inch cubes and set aside in a bowl.
Mix the maple syrup, vegetable oil, and drippings with a whisk. Pour over the sweet potatoes and toss to coat them. Lay the sweet potatoes out on a roasting pan. Wash your hands thoroughly after tossing the sweet potatoes. Roast the sweet potatoes for approximately 45 minutes. At the 20 minute mark, remove from oven and turn them.
Place skillet or casserole dish into oven for about 5 minutes before serving. Toss bacon bits with the sweet potatoes and enjoy!
Additional Food Safety Notes related to this recipe:
- When buying sweet potatoes in the grocery store, be sure that they are free of most blemishes and are firm to touch. Avoid those that are bruised, sprouting, and shriveled.
- When buying bacon in the grocery store, be sure that there are no broken seals on the package or discoloration on the strips.
- Bacon has a recommended storage time of 7 days in the refrigerator. Be sure to store in a tightly sealed container after opening and label with the date opened. After 7 days the bacon should be thrown into the garbage.
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Wash hands correctly after handling bacon. Even if the bacon is ready-to-eat, it is important that you wash your hands after handling all meat products.
- Moisten hands with warm water and apply soap.
- Rub hands together for 20 seconds. Don’t forget to use a soft brush to clean your nails and nail beds.
- Rinse hands and dry with a clean towel.
- Keep food out of the “Danger Zone”.
- Bacon should not be out of the refrigerator for longer than 2 hours.
- Warming trays or chafing dishes can be used to keep your side dishes at a safe temperature.
- Put any leftovers into the refrigerator within 1 hour.
- Scrub cutting boards after each use with warm soapy water.
- Clean and sanitize the cutting board before and after each use. It is a good idea to have two separate cutting boards in the kitchen. One should be used for raw meats, poultry, and seafood while the other should be used for fresh produce and breads.
Food Safety Resources:
Core Four Practices
Cooking Fact Sheet
