Roasted Sweet Potatoes and String Beans

First order of business: string beans = green beans = snap beans. I just felt like calling green beans/snap beans string beans today. Say that 5 times fast.

The story behind this roasted medley is that I bought fresh string beans with plans to sauté them with garlic and butter, but ended up not feeling like doing that. I also needed to use the sweet potatoes that I had bought. 

Now, I've roasted sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts together before (yum!), but sweet potatoes and string beans...this was a new combo for me. And I'm so glad I tried it. This medley is very tasty!...

and super easy! Just wash and cut/snap your string beans. 

Then wash and peel your sweet potato(es). Depending on their size, you may end up using one very large sweet potato or two medium. Exact size/weight is not crucial. I used 1.5 pounds of sweet potato to 1 pound of green beans this time, and you can certainly modify the ratio to suit your preferences.

Cut your sweet potato(es) into little sticks close to the size of your string beans.

Put your vegetables into a large mixing bowl.

Add minced garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Toss to ensure all the vegetables are coated.

Spread vegetables onto a dark nonstick large rimmed baking sheet.

(Full disclosure: I cheat by lining my baking sheet with parchment paper, making sure no paper is hanging over the edges of the baking sheet, as the paper will burn at this high temperature; I also keep my oven light on and monitor it very carefully. I live on the edge in order to make clean up easier!)

Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 20 minutes. Flip with spatula. Continue baking until sweet potatoes are slightly golden (but not shriveled up or burnt!), about 15-25 more minutes.

Serve with some protein and fruit. Enjoy!

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and String Beans

1.5 Pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into sticks

1 Pound fresh string beans, snapped/cut

1 garlic clove, minced

3 Tablespoons olive oil 

Salt and pepper to taste 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Place sweet potato sticks and string beans into large bowl and toss with garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper. Spread vegetables onto prepared baking sheet. They may slightly overlap, but do not pile them; it may be necessary to bake 2 batches if you have too many vegetables. Please see pictures above to see what I mean by slightly overlapping.

Place baking sheet on middle rack in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove from oven and flip vegetables with spatula, then bake for another 15 to 25 until sweet potatoes are slightly golden.

Roasted Sweet Potato Coins

Sweet potatoes don't need you to do too much to them. They're amazing already. These sweet little treats just need a little olive oil, salt & pepper and some alone time in the oven.

I like using the dark orange sweet potatoes, sometimes (incorrectly) referred to as yams. They vary in size. This one pictured  above is pretty huge, so one of these was more than enough for two servings. Don't worry if you think you're making too many sweet potato coins because they tend to disappear like French fries. In fact, they actually taste like sweet potato fries, they're just shaped like coins. 

If your slices are too thick your sweet potato coins will be mushy. If your slices are too thin your poor little coins will burn. 1/2 inch thickness is the size to aim for. 

Adjust the olive oil as needed. While you don't need to drown them in oil, you do want them to be well-coated. I just put the sweet potatoes in a large mixing bowl and used my hands to rub the oil on, then sprinkled them with salt and pepper.

The only bad news is that you will probably need to bake 2 or 3 batches because when you place them on the baking sheet they cannot be piled on top of each other. But again, these babies are so delicious that they're definitely worth making several batches.

Bake them at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Flip. Another 15 minutes. Then another 5 to 10 minutes at 450 degrees. They will dry out a little and get crispy as you let them cool, so don't worry if they seem kind of soft and not crispy enough when you remove them from the oven. 

Try these with a lettuce-wrapped turkey burger. It's a good time.

Roasted Sweet Potato Coins

2 medium sweet potatoes 

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste  

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Scrub and wash the sweet potatoes. Leave the skin on. Cut them into 1/2 inch thick coins. Brush/rub both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place coins on baking sheet, not overlapping. 

Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully flip each coin over. Bake for another 15 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees and bake for another 10-15 minutes until the coins are brown and slightly crispy. 

Want a sweeter flavor? Swap the salt and pepper for sugar and cinnamon. Yum.