GirlsGuideTo | Healthy Girl Recipe: Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

A quintessential summer grill out isn’t complete without burgers, hot dogs, and of course, copious amounts of pasta or potato salad. I’m always struggling to enjoy the classic side dish, because it’s often over-mayonnaissed, or too tangy, and I’m really trying to quit plain white potatoes or pasta.

So, you could only imagine my joy when stumbling onto this recipe that substitutes in sweet potatoes and loses the mayo altogether. Bring this dish to your next cookout for a healthy side dish you won’t be able to get enough of.

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes

2 whole garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) + a smidgen extra

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

4 slices thick, center cut bacon

¼ cup Vidalia or sweet onion*

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp prepared whole grain or Dijon mustard

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Salt & pepper to taste

2 tbsp freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

1/8 cup toasted pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

While oven is heating, wash & dry sweet potatoes, peel with vegetable peeler, and chop into bite size pieces. Transfer potatoes to cookie sheet lined with tin foil and sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle 2 tsp EVOO, ½ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp pepper over potatoes. With clean hands, mix the potatoes around on the cookie sheet until well coated with oil and seasoning. Once coated, spread potatoes into a single layer, making sure all pieces are lying flat.

Place the whole garlic cloves in a corner of the cookie sheet, drizzling a tiny amount of EVOO over each one. Put in the oven and roast for 20 minutes.

While the potatoes are roasting, fry bacon in a sauté pan over med to med-high heat, cooking until desired crispness. Remove bacon from pan and place on a plate or cutting board lined with a paper towel. Pour excess bacon grease from the frying pan into a coffee mug or grease keeper. DO NOT WIPE CLEAN.

Place frying pan back on burner and add onion, cooking until translucent &/or slightly brown in color, about 2-3 minutes. Take off the heat. After 20 minutes, take the garlic cloves out of the oven and continue cooking the potatoes for another 5-10 minutes or until fork tender. Let the cloves cool to the touch. Peel garlic cloves and place in a mini food processor with onion, apple cider vinegar, mustard, brown sugar, coriander, and pumpkin pie spice. Blend until smooth.

Pour brown sugar mixture into the bottom of a large bowl, add warm potatoes, and stir until well coated. Add salt and pepper to taste. Crumble bacon and sprinkle over the salad along with the chopped parsley and pecans. Stir until well combined. Enjoy!

Serving size: 1/2 cup Calories: 125 Fat: 6 grams Carbohydrates: 15 grams Fiber: 2 grams Protein: 3 grams

{Recipe Courtesy Of: Slim Pickins Kitchen}