Twice-Baked Sweet Potato (Yam) Recipe with Chipotle Pecan Streusel

With American Thanksgiving just a couple of weeks away, you are likely being inundated by recipes and entertaining suggestions on the web, in magazines, and on television. I am guilty of this myself, writing about Green Beans with Balsamic Roasted Shallots and Savory Bread Stuffing with Sausage and Herbs in the last week. Well, I am going to do it to you again. This recipe is a combination of three different recipes from Food & Wine and Gourmet Magazines. The sweetness of the sweet potatoes and added maple syrup benefit from a gentle dose of heat and salt in the chipotle pecan streusel. My friends were the recipients of the overflow from this recipe (the four of us can only eat so much, folks) and described it as “ridiculously delicious”. Conveniently, the majority of this dish can be made the day before your feast. Prepare the sweet potatoes and streusel separately and refrigerate. Before serving, sprinkle the streusel on top of the potatoes and bake according to the directions.

While our taste buds are focused on the upcoming holiday, the rest of our bodies have been reveling in the lingering mild temperatures of fall. While we soaked in the rays of the sun and enjoyed the gentle breeze this weekend, we were acutely aware that the temperatures are due to drop this week and the next big snowfall is imminent. Silliness at the soccer fields and enthusiastic leaps into our immense backyard leaf pile seemed like the ideal way to enjoy the last days of fall.

Sweet potatoes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set one rack in the lowest position and the other in the middle of the oven. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest rack.

Rub sweet potatoes with canola oil. With a fork, pierce each potato 5 to 6 times in different places around the potato. Place the potatoes directly on the upper rack and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board to cool slightly.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch layer of potato. Place 8 of the potato shells on a large baking sheet and discard the remaining shells. Place the sweet potato flesh in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Using a whisk, mash and vigorously stir the sweet potato until slightly dry, about 5 minutes. Add butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, chipotle chile powder, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Evenly divide the sweet potato mixture between the shells.

Chipotle Pecans:
Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat.

Add pecans, chipotle chile powder, and sugar to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the sugar begins to caramelize and the pecans are coated with the sauce, 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure the pecans do not burn.

Spread the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt, and cool.

Streusel:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, butter, and salt. Using your fingers, mix the ingredients together until combined.

Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the mashed sweet potatoes. Bake until the streusel mixture is melted together and beginning to bubble, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Other sweet potato recipes:

Cookin’ Canuck’s Sweet Potato Soup with Maple & Bacon
Cookin’ Canuck’s Grilled Sweet Potatoes with Pancetta & Sage Vinaigrette
Kalyn’s Kitchen’s Spicy Crockpot Sweet Potatoes
She Wears Many Hats’ Sweet Potato Soup with Walnut Pesto
Family Fresh Cooking’s Sweet Potato or Pumpkin Crisp
Good Life Eats’ Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili
Two Peas and Their Pod’s Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Agave Nectar & Fresh Rosemary

Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Chipotle Pecan Streusel

Sweet Potatoes:
6 medium red-skinned sweet potatoes (also called yams)
1 tbsp canola oil
5 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
Pinch salt

Chipotle Pecans:
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups pecans
1 tbsp plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
3/4 tsp chipotle chile powder
Pinch salt

Streusel:
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter, slightly softened
2/3 cup chipotle pecans, chopped

Sweet potatoes:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Set one rack in the lowest position and the other in the middle of the oven. Place a foil-lined baking sheet on the lowest rack.

Rub sweet potatoes with canola oil. With a fork, pierce each potato 5 to 6 times in different places around the potato. Place the potatoes directly on the upper rack and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board to cool slightly.

Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the flesh, leaving a 1/4-inch layer of potato. Place 8 of the potato shells on a large baking sheet and discard the remaining shells. Place the sweet potato flesh in a large saucepan set over medium heat. Using a whisk, mash and vigorously stir the sweet potato until slightly dry, about 5 minutes. Add butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, chipotle chile powder, and salt. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

Evenly divide the sweet potato mixture between the shells.

Chipotle Pecans:
Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add pecans, chipotle chile powder, and sugar to the skillet and cook, stirring, until the sugar begins to caramelize and the pecans are coated with the sauce, 4 to 5 minutes. Make sure the pecans do not burn. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, sprinkle with salt, and cool.

Streusel:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, butter, and salt. Using your fingers, mix the ingredients together until combined.

Sprinkle the streusel mixture evenly over the mashed sweet potatoes. Bake until the streusel mixture is melted together and beginning to bubble, about 15 minutes. Serve.

Serves 8.

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Tagged as: chipotle, pecan, streusel, sweet potato, twice baked, yam