Baked Sweet Potato Sticks

Sweet potatoes are healthy and versatile.

Whether you're looking for a healthy alternative to French fries, a fresh idea for a Thanksgiving side dish or an easy way to add more vegetables to your diet, baked sweet potato sticks may be just the thing. Packed with vitamins A and C and plenty of fiber, sweet potatoes offer a nutritional punch in addition to their sweet, moist flavor. Sweet potatoes can be prepared almost any way you'd cook regular potatoes -- mashed, fried, au gratin -- but baked sweet potato sticks are a particularly yummy preparation.

Things You'll Need

• 1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Peel sweet potatoes with a sharp knife, carefully scraping the brown, papery peel away from the orange-yellow flesh. Discard the peel. Use a sharp knife to cut the potatoes into strips about 1/2 inch wide.

3. Toss the prepared sweet potatoes with olive oil so that each piece is lightly coated with oil. If you need to, add a little more oil so that all the sweet potato sticks are lightly oiled.

4. Spread the oiled potatoes on a cookie sheet.

5. Combine salt, pepper and ground red pepper in a small bowl, mix, then sprinkle generously over the prepared sweet potatoes.

6. Bake until the sweet potatoes are cooked through with crispy, golden outsides -- about 30 minutes. Use a spatula to carefully flip sweet potatoes after about 15 minutes of baking time to promote even cooking.

Tips & Warnings

• Vary your sweet potato sticks by changing up the spices you use. Trade paprika and mustard powder, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, cinnamon, curry powder or other spices for the red pepper and black pepper in this recipe.

• When shopping, look for sweet potatoes that are firm, unblemished and heavy for their size. Store sweet potatoes in a cool, dry place -- not your refrigerator -- for up to a week before preparing them.

• If you prefer, use vegetable oil or canola oil in place of the olive oil in this recipe.

References

• Reader's Digest: Health Benefits of Sweet Potatoes
• Good Housekeeping: Sweet Potatoes: Buying and Cooking Guide