Did You Guess Sweet Potatoes?

I LOVE trying new things ... in the kitchen, in the grocery store, in my workouts. So when I saw purple sweet potatoes in the big bins at Pick N Save, I knew I had to give them a shot.

Good news: they taste just like normal sweet potatoes! But they look weird as hell, right?

Thanks to a recipe from my friend RIPPED instructor Peggy, here's a riff on the traditional Thanksgiving sweet potato side dish that does NOT involve all that extra sugar, cream nor bag of mini marshmallows! Which also means it doesn't involve the calories and guilt either!

And, guess what? It's freaking yummy.

Apple-Topped Sweet Potatoes
5 lbs. of sweet potatoes, baked until soft
1 Tbsp butter
2 medium apples, cored, peeled, sliced in 1/4" thick crescents (Truth: I didn't peel my apples.)
1/2 c orange juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp cinnamon, plus extra for sprinkling on top
1/4 tsp black pepper
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray 1-1/2 to 2-quart baking dish. Bake potatoes in oven or microwave until soft. While the potatoes are cooling, slice up the apples and cook them in a skillet with the butter until they are golden and tender, about 7 minutes. Set aside while you prepare potatoes.

When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scrape the insides out into a big mixing bowl. Mix in the orange guide, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and pepper, mashing it all together with a potato masher or you could use a food processor. (Truth: I don't own a potato masher and was too lazy to get out the food processor. So I used my pastry cutter. Don't tell Elda Hoyt!)

Spread the mixture into your greased baking dish. Artfully arrange the apples on the top and sprinkle with a little extra cinnamon. Bake until heated through/bubbly around the edges, about 30 min. Cut into "slices" or just scoop out each serving.

Now, this is not as gloopy and gooey as that mashed/marshmallow version. But you'll feel better when you eat it, I promise. It's sweet and salty and I love the "crustier" outer edge.