Savory Moments: Smoky lemon maple glazed sweet potatoes

Serving bowl filled with glazed sweet potatoes.

Smoky, sweet, and a little tangy, these sweet potatoes make a delicious family side dish for anytime of the year. The glaze makes them sticky and extra flavorful.

Maple syrup season is here in our area (western New York/Buffalo region). My kids have been helping out with a small maple production that my husband's family has and we are lucky that we are able to get our hands on real New York State maple syrup.

While it is officially spring now, it will be some time before we have fresh springtime produce in our area. Sweet potatoes are a favorite of one of my kids and I like to make them in a variety of ways. Roasting in the oven with a glaze is always a hit.

These sweet potatoes are peeled, cubed, and then tossed in a large glass baking dish with a glaze of butter, smoked paprika, real maple syrup, and fresh lemon juice. After they are roasted covered, they are uncovered to brown up a bit and to reduce the glaze.

Baking dish with cubed and peeled sweet potatoes and spatula stirring the glaze before roasting.

Smoked paprika is one of my favorite spices to have around. It adds a great smoky flavor without being overpowering. I use it all the time in chili and soups, for cooking fajita filling, in pork and chicken rubs, and with vegetables like these sweet potatoes.

The combination of smoky paprika and maple syrup is delicious with the sweet potatoes. I add a bit of fresh lemon juice for brightness and a tangy contrast to the sweet and smoky flavors. A dash of cinnamon or a dash of cayenne pepper would also work well in this recipe.

Getting kids (and even adults) to eat and enjoy vegetables can be a challenge sometimes. I try to make them flavorful and approachable for everyone. Even when we have regular baked sweet potatoes, we always serve them with optional toppings like butter, salt and pepper, cinnamon, brown sugar, etc. We always add a bit of salt and butter to our steamed vegetables.

Roasting brings out such an amazing flavor in so many vegetables though and it's one of my favorite ways to prepare many of them. I find that I eat more veggies when they are enjoyable and flavorful.

Serving bowl of glazed sweet potatoes and a bottle of maple syrup.

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Yield: 4-5 servings

Author: Amy (Savory Moments)

Smoky lemon maple glazed sweet potatoes

Smoky, sweet, and a little tangy, these sweet potatoes make a delicious family side dish for anytime of the year. The glaze makes them sticky and extra flavorful.

Ingredients

2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
juice of one lemon
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
In a 9" x 11" baking dish, toss the sweet potatoes with the butter, lemon juice, maple syrup, and smoked paprika. Top with a good pinch of salt and a couple grinds of black pepper.
Cover the dish with foil. Roast for 15 minutes, then uncover and stir. Return the foil to the pan and roast for another 10-15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.
Remove the foil and place the pan back in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the glaze is reduced. Stir well to cover the sweet potatoes in the glaze and season with salt and pepper, if needed.