Roasted Parmigiano Reggiano Sweet Potatoes and Shallots are a super-simple sweet, savoury, crunchy, and soft nutritious side dish that will have your family asking for seconds. These would be great for any dinner – festive or everyday.
Most of us in the UK and US think roasted white potatoes when we think roasted potatoes. And they are good. But have you ever considered roasting cubes of sweet potatoes instead? With waaaay less added fat than traditional roasted spuds, my savoury-sweet sweet potato roasties make a nutritious side dish for almost any dinner. Including Christmas.
Whether you are having my Cauliflower and Porcini Wellington, Chris’s awesome looking festive cashew nut roast, or your own special recipe at the festive table, try and make space for these beta-carotene-tastic little pops of flavour and texture.
What makes these extra special, going beyond “just” tossing the sweet potatoes in a little oil and into a hot oven? The seasoning.
How to make the best roasted sweet potatoes
- Use firm, unblemished sweet potatoes. And use them soon after purchase as they do deteriorate once we get them into our warm home. If you won’t be using them for awhile store in a cool room rather than in the refrigerator.
- Keep the skin on. Not only are there loads of nutrients in and just immediately under the skin, they hold their shape better, too. Picky kids? Peel them. No use fighting about it as sweet potatoes are uber-healthy – with and without skin. You could compromise by doing a half tray of each and remembering not to make a fuss about it. 🙂
- Keep the oil to a minimum. Unlike white potatoes, the starches in sweet potatoes don’t take as kindly to loads of hot oil. They just sulk rather than crisp. Good news.
- Spice them up. Or herb them up. Sweet potatoes take very well to robust flavours. A simple idea is to mix a little oil with whole cumin seeds and a light hand of smoked paprika. Toss this through sweet potato cubes or wedges. Delish.
- Add another vegetable. I’ve used halved shallots but why not try celeriac, swede, or even eggplant?
- Keep the temp high, but not too high. 200 Celsius/400 Fahrenheit is the sweet spot. And do spread them all out in an even layer so they roast rather than steam.
- This recipe for sweet potatoes is for cubes that are lightly crisped on the outside and softer inside. To make them even crisper, remember to flip the potatoes halfway through and flash under the grill for 30 seconds or so. But keep an eye not to burn the cheese. When serving scoop the inevitable stray cheese and crumbs onto the potatoes.
The seasoning?
My special twist with today’s roast sweet spuds is to toss them in not only some oil and dried herbs, but also dried breadcrumbs and Parmigiano Reggiano. Real parmesan cheese adds a sweet, nutty, umami flavour that will have you pressing the serving platter for stray bits of cheese. Fact. It is also lactose-free, high in protein and relatively low in fat. More facts.
Be sure to have some extra grated Parmigiano Reggiano to scatter over the cooked potatoes as the cooked and fresh have different, obviously complementing, flavours.
From side dish to main
To make these roasted parmesan sweet potatoes and shallots more of a meal, toss in some cooked beans or cubed tofu in the last 10 minutes of roasting. Or, fry a few eggs and perch one on each serving. If this is a main I would also serve with a goodly amount of steamed greens, spiked with a hot sauce. This is also great to do with leftovers, which could also be added to a frittata.
This is my second of a trio of recipes I have created for iconic Italian PDO brand, Parmigiano Reggiano. My first is (see image below) Herb-Roasted Squash Stuffed with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Look out for my final dish – another easy side for family or festive table – very soon!
To keep up with the latest recipes and Parm chat, follow @ParmesanUK on Twitter @parmigianoreggiano on Instagram and Parmigiano Reggiano on Facebook!
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Do you roast sweet potatoes as a side dish? How do you jazz them up? Please let me know!
Roasted Parmesan Sweet Potatoes and Shallots
Roasted Parmigiano Reggiano Sweet Potatoes and Shallots are a super-simple sweet, savoury, crunchy, soft and nutritious side dish that will have your family asking for seconds. These would be great for any dinner - festive or everyday.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg sweet potatoes between 1 and 1.5 kg/about 3 medium
- 12 shallots, peeled and halved
- 6 whole garlic cloves in their skins; more if liked
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 30 g panko crumbs or other dry breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp dry mixed herbs
- 1 tsp garlic granules optional
- 50 g Parmigiano Reggiano, grated divided use
- 1 tsp lemon zest optional
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 180C fan/200C/400F.
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Wash and dry the potatoes; cut into 2.5 cm/1 inch cubes.
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Mix the oil, bread crumbs, mixed herbs, garlic granules and half of the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese in a large mixing bowl. Add the cubed sweet potatoes, garlic and shallots and toss well. Lay on a baking tray (line with parchment paper if you wish) and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through for most even cooking.
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Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the remaining Parmigiano Reggiano and the lemon zest, if using. Serve warm or hot as a side dish.
Recipe Notes
- To make this vegetarian/vegan, use vegan or vegetarian hard Italian-style grating cheese. Or, use nutritional yeast: 3 tbsp added as the potatoes come out of the oven.
- Make this a hearty main by tossing in some cooked beans after 1o minutes, and/or top with fried eggs or cooked, smoked tofu pieces
- These sweet potatoes are crisped on the outside and softer inside. To make them even crispier, remember to flip the potatoes halfway through and perhaps flash under the grill for one minute.
- To reheat, pop them in a hot oven for eight-10 minutes.
- Use whatever dried herbs you like here. Or use sturdier, minced fresh herbs, like sage and rosemary.
- Remind guests to pop the garlic from their papery skins. They are a gorgeous little mellow surprise. Add as many whole garlic cloves as you like before roasting. Any extras can be whizzed up into sauces or mash.
RIPE FOR PINNING!
This REALLY appeals to me for two reasons! One, it’s beautifully colourful so would be nice to see on the table and two, I’m not a massive sweet potato fan mainly because of their natural sweetness but with these spices, shallots and especially the Parmigiano Reggiano I absolutely love the sound of it. A real keeper, I’m off to get some Parmigiano Reggiano right now as I have the others ingredients in the house already. Thank you, a cracking recipe 🙂
Healthy indulgence – love it! A very unique use of Parmesan in the panko – innovative! Baking some sweet potatoes whole for dinner soon and was going to top with curried lentils, but might just have to make it cheesy! Mm mmm
This looks great
I rarely use white potatoes now. Sweet potatoes are so much healthier & tastier.
…ps as I prep this I’m chuckling to myself that its kind of posh (and healthy) cheesy chips 😉
Cheesy chips indeed – outstanding!!!! mmmmmmmmmmmm
Humm where do you use the shallots?
My friend has just messaged that I missed them out. So sorry! Just heading home from work (it’s a late class) so I’ll sort then. Basically put them in with the potatoes and skin-on garlic 😊
Hi Kellie why is it my potatoes always stick on grease proof paper! What am I doing wrong? This looks solo good to miss out on! Your stuffed pasta looks so good if I get it wrong though! 🤗
Hmm. Not sure why that would be. I like Bacofoil these days as it was little dimples, which I’m sure help enormously. Usually I just use supermarket own brand. Try Bacofoil and see 😊😊
What a fantastic idea to combine parm with sweet potatoes! I always go the curry or Mexican route with sweet potatoes but now… I think I’ll make this tomorrow night with salmon.
I love roasted sweet potatoes and your version with the crispy cheesy topping adds another dimension which is perfect. I love making big batches of roasted veggies like these and then having them for lunch.
Can’t wait to try this…looks delicious!
Your food is always so vibrant Kellie. There’s a festive feeling in your house every day of the week I reckon.
So good!!! that would fit in perfectly on my dinner table x x x