An Easy, Melt-In-Your Mouth Take on Sweet Potatoes

For an easy, straightforward holiday side dish that balances this tuber’s natural sweetness with a savory edge, I decided to make melting potatoes (also called fondant potatoes, or pommes de terre fondantes in French) using these orange gems instead of yellow or white potatoes. 

Classic melting potatoes are made by cooking large coins of potatoes like meat: The pieces are seared in a generous amount of butter in a skillet to create a flavorful browned crust and then braised in broth until fully tender. The result is a pan of nicely caramelized potatoes with meltingly soft interiors, all coated in the pan sauce that forms as the broth and butter reduce. 

I followed the lead of our Melting Potatoes recipe from 2014 (an enduring favorite that calls for Yukon Golds) and cooked 3 pounds of sweet potatoes in a baking pan in the oven, rather than in a skillet on the stovetop, in order to serve six to eight holiday diners.

The recipe took a bit of testing to perfect, but the resulting dish is utterly delicious and simple to pull off. To make it, toss peeled, seasoned sweet potato rounds with melted butter and roast them in a hot oven; by carefully arranging them in a single layer, you’ll achieve beautiful browning the bottoms of each piece. Pull the pan out of the oven, gently flip each piece over, and add a few crushed garlic cloves to flavor the braising liquid. 

Pour in a mixture of chicken broth, a drizzle of honey for shine and to call out the sweetness of the potatoes, cornstarch to help thicken the sauce, cayenne for a little spark, and more salt. Return the pan to the oven and roast for another 15 minutes, at which point the sweet potatoes will be tender and the sauce nicely tightened up enough to cling.  

All that’s left to do is transfer the sweet potatoes to a serving platter, pour the sauce over, and sprinkle on some aromatic fresh thyme (and, if you like, some flake salt for crunch). 

Oh, and don’t sleep on the Miso-Maple variation—it tastes fantastic and is just as easy to make. Whichever version you choose, it will be a flavorful, elegant side dish that comes together with no trouble; it’s perfect for the holidays but simple enough for a weeknight too.