21 Sweet Potato Dishes

This spectacular main dish will impress discerning vegetarians and omnivores alike.

Recipe: Sweet-Potato Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Spinach

This brilliant side dish (or vegetarian main, if made with vegetable broth) is a colorful version of scalloped potatoes. For richest flavor and color, look for deep-orange-fleshed sweet potatoes with skin that’s burnt orange to dark red. A food processor’s shredding disc and 2-mm. slicing blade make quick work of the cheese, sweet potatoes, and shallot.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Gouda Gratin

The Asian seasonings take the sweet potatoes in a savory direction.

Recipe: Miso, Sesame, and Sweet Potato Dip

Melted brie, crushed pistachios, and savory diced pancetta top off these gluten-free “toasts” that are bound to disappear from a fall party platter in moments.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Crostini

This easy recipe will delight those of us who prefer sweet-potato to regular fries.

Recipe: Sweet-Potato Fries

This sweet potato dish strikes a perfect balance between sweet, tart, and savory. Rather than adding marshmallows for sweetness, we used apples and maple syrup.

Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Apples

Virgin coconut oil is unrefined and cold-pressed, like extra-virgin olive oil, and isn’t hydrogenated. It has a clean, slightly nutty taste that’s delicious in this dish. Deborah Madison, who adapted this recipe from one in a new revision of her book Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone (1997), likes to use a mix of sweet potatoes, but it’s fine to go with just one kind. Paler sweet potatoes tend to be drier, so if you use them, add more oil.

Recipe: Coconut Pan-Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Sesame Seeds

The seasoning blend called Chinese five-spice adds a warm note without pushing the apples into pie territory, and the apples are tart enough to balance the flavor too. Roasting ingredients together on a sheet pan saves time and reduces cleanup.

Recipe: Five Spice Chicken Thighs with Apples and Sweet Potatoes

This is a decadent yet savory way to serve sweet potatoes. If you’re expecting vegetarians, make a couple of potatoes without the bacon. One potato can be enough for at least four people, depending on its size.

Recipe: Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese

Earthy sweet potatoes add depth to this vegetarian chili. New Mexico chile powder is fruity and mild, so don’t be scared off by the generous amount called for here. Feel free to swap in any other kind of chile powder you have on hand—just use less of it.

Recipe: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Chinese five-spice powder infuses this colorful stew with a warm, anise-y note.

Recipe: Chinese-style Beef, Sweet Potato, and Bok Choy Stew

For a healthy take on ramen, substitute sweet potato zoodles for the traditional wheat noodles.

Recipe: Sweet Potato Zoodle Ramen

Served in demitasse cups, this sophisticated little soup makes an easy-to-handle big-party hors d’oeuvre. For a purely vegetarian soup, garnish with chopped chives.

Recipe: Sweet-Potato Soup with Prosciutto Crisps

This dish works well with grilled pork and a salad, or as a Thanksgiving side if you take your menu in a grilled direction.

Recipe: Grilled Rosemary Sweet Potatoes

These latkes feature sweet potatos, parsnips, and shallots, making them ideal for Hanukkah celebrations. Gingered sour cream complements the latkes perfectly.

Recipe: Sweet Potato-Parsnip Latkes

This prize-winning cheesecake from a Sunset reader is one of our absolute favorites. Creamy and moist, with just the right amount of sweetness, this dessert will wow your guests.

Recipe: Roasted Sweet-Potato Cheesecake with Maple Cream

Spicy red jalapeno jelly plays perfectly against sweet potato’s sugary flavor in this easy side dish.

Recipe: Chili-glazed Sweet Potatoes

This simple recipe highlights the sweet potato’s bright flavor with hits of orange and ginger.

Recipe: Marmalade- and Ginger-glazed Sweet Potatoes

Dried apricots and a hint of bourbon are mashed with creamy sweet potatoes in this crowd-pleasing side.

Recipe: Baked Sweet Potatoes with Apricots and Bourbon

Both orange sweet potatoes (such as Garnet and Jewel varieties) and white sweet potatoes work well in this dish, but the vibrant orange ones bring a splash of color to the table-freshly grated parmesan cheese makes the dish stand out.

Recipe: Sweet-Potato Gratin

We adapted this recipe from Devil’s Teeth Baking Company to create a border that shows off the bright filling. To completely cover the pie, just double the topping.

Recipe: Sweet-Potato Pecan Pie