One day, this sweet potato was staring at us, wondering what in the heck we had planned for it, when all of a sudden the lightbulb went off … smashed sweet potatoes with whipped feta and pomegranate garnish! The saltiness from the feta with the sweetness of the potato is such a great balance. It seemed like it would be not only delicious, but also so pretty with the vibrant colors of the orange sweet potato and bright crimson seeds!
So, we set about our work and added a little of this and a lot of that and wound up with this concoction. It’s important to note, that Daddage-man will not touch sweet potatoes, so this was a dish just for us … no sharing required! This is a great vegetarian dish, but if you love sweet potatoes and are not vegetarian, consider sprinkling some brown-sugared bacon crumbles on top! That sweet, salty and savory combo is amazing!
Also, vegans can opt to make this dish without the whipped feta and with nondairy butter substitute. The smashed sweet potatoes and seasoning are delicious by themselves, too.
Prepackaged balsamic glaze is readily available, but you can also make it by simply cooking down balsamic vinegar over medium-low heat until reduced and syrupy. Just keep your eye on it, because otherwise it can become too thick to pour, or even dry up altogether.
Smashed Sweet Potatoes with Pomegranates, Balsamic Glaze & Whipped Feta
Equipment
- Food processor for the whipped feta
Ingredients
Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large sweet potatoes (we like the orange kind)
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/8 tsp. white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. lemon pepper
- 1 tbsp. melted butter
- 1/2 cup whipped feta, divided (recipe below)
- 2 tbsp. balsamic glaze
- 2 tbsp. minced fresh parsley
- 1/2 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup brown sugared bacon crumbles (optional)
Whipped Feta
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
Instructions
Smashed Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Prepared a 1-quart casserole dish with cooking spray and set aside.
- Clean and dry sweet potatoes. Leave skins on. Poke holes in a several places in each sweet potatoe with a fork.
- Lay sweet potatoes on the prepared baking sheet and roast for about 35-40 minutes, or until fork tender. Remove from oven and cool enough to handle.
- Scoop sweet potato meat out of the skins and place it in the bowl of your food processor. Add salt, white pepper, lemon pepper, melted butter and process until smooth. Add 1/4 cup whipped feta and process just until to beat until smooth.
- Place mixture into the prepared casserole dish and bake for 15-20 minutes at 425° F until heated through. Remove from oven.
- Garnish each serving with pomegranate seeds, a drizzle of balsamic glaze, minced parsley, a spoonful of whipped feta, and a dusting of paprika. (Bacon bits optional garnish:)
Whipped Feta
- Place feta in the bowl of your mixer or food processor. (It will be much more smooth in the food processor and a little bit chunkier in the mixer.) Add olive oil and lemon juice, and whip or process until creamy and feta is mostly smooth. Add yogurt and beat until integrated.