Chef Jackie Page takes a simpler, more elegant take on the popular holiday side with these sweet potato stacks. These Sweet Potato Stacks are an easy side dish with earthy undertones, a bit of natural sweetness, and an aroma that can’t be beat. Thick rounds of peeled sweet potato are stacked into a muffin tin, drizzled with melted butter warmed with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt, then baked until tender and glistening. They’re earthy, lightly sweet, and wonderfully aromatic, and they get all their sweetness from the potatoes themselves, with no added sugar.
It’s a perfectly simple side dish for ham and poultry that comes together in 30 minutes, leaving you free to mingle with your holiday dinner guests. Jackie, who owns and operates Jackie Kennedy Catering and serves as food coordinator for Buy Fresh Buy Local/Farm to Table of Western PA, knows a thing or two about feeding a crowd without stress.
Why Bake Sweet Potatoes in a Muffin Tin?
A muffin tin does a surprising amount of work. Each cup holds a stack upright, so the spiced butter pools around the potatoes and soaks in instead of running off the pan. The edges that touch the hot metal caramelize, while the centers turn soft and creamy. And the finished stacks come out as neat, individual portions that look polished on a buffet and are easy for guests to serve themselves.
How Do You Make Sweet Potato Stacks?
Choose three sweet potatoes that are roughly the same size, so your rounds have a similar diameter and cook evenly. Preheat the oven to 375°F and generously grease a muffin tin.
Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into ½-inch-thick rounds. If any rounds are too wide for the muffin cups, trim the edges to fit. Stack two or three rounds in each cup.
In a small bowl, stir the melted butter with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Drizzle the mixture evenly over the stacks, letting some trickle down between the layers.
Bake for about 30 minutes, until a paring knife slides easily through the center of each stack. Lift the stacks out with a small offset spatula or spoon, and drizzle any spiced butter left in the cups over the top before serving.
Why Are My Sweet Potato Stacks Still Hard in the Center?
Stacks that are too tall, or slices cut thicker than ½ inch, take longer to cook through. Sweet potatoes also vary in density from one to the next. Test the center of a stack with a paring knife at the 30-minute mark. If it still feels firm, cover the tin loosely with foil to keep the edges from overbrowning, and bake for 5 to 10 minutes more. Cutting the rounds as evenly as possible is the best way to avoid the problem altogether.
Tips for Success
Grease the tin well. A generous coat of butter or cooking spray helps the stacks release cleanly. For foolproof removal, line each cup with a small square of parchment.
Butter between the layers. Brushing a little of the spiced butter between rounds carries flavor all the way to the middle.
Customize the flavor. For a sweeter side, drizzle the stacks with maple syrup or sprinkle them with brown sugar before baking. A pinch of cayenne adds gentle heat, and fresh thyme leaves add a savory note.
No muffin tin? Stand the stacks upright, close together, in a buttered baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
Can I Make This Sweet Potato Recipe Ahead of Time?
Peel and slice the sweet potatoes up to a day ahead and store them submerged in cold water in the refrigerator to prevent browning; pat them dry before stacking. Or bake the stacks ahead and reheat them at 350°F for about 10 minutes. Leftovers keep, refrigerated, for up to four days.
What Dietary Swaps Can You Make for This Recipe?
Dairy-free: Replace the butter with melted plant-based butter or coconut oil. Coconut oil’s subtle sweetness pairs especially well with the warm spices.
What Can I Serve With Sweet Potato Stacks?
Sweet potato stacks pair beautifully with holiday ham and poultry, from roast turkey to herb-roasted chicken. They’re also a cozy side for pork loin or pork chops on a weeknight.
For more from Chef Jackie, serve her Green Bean Casserole on the same table, make her Jerk Chicken, and read The Principles of Kwanzaa from Chef Jackie Page.
If you love using a muffin tin for sides, try Anna Franklin’s cheesy Sweet Potato Rosettes.
More sweet potato favorites include Veda Sankaran’s Smashed Japanese Sweet Potatoes, Bistro To Go’s Bistro Pecan Sweet Potato Casserole, and Chef Cory Hughes’s Baby Yams with Maple-Chipotle Compound Butter.
Print
Sweet Potato Stacks
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 stacks 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Thick sweet potato rounds stacked in a muffin tin, drizzled with melted butter, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, and baked until tender and golden.
Ingredients
- 3 sweet potatoes, roughly the same size
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 4 tbsp butter, melted, plus more for greasing
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch rounds. Trim as needed to fit the muffin cups, and stack 2 to 3 rounds in each cup.
- Mix the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, melted butter, and salt. Drizzle over the stacked potatoes.
- Bake about 30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a knife.
Notes
Not tender yet? Cover loosely with foil and bake 5 to 10 minutes more.
No muffin tin: Stand the stacks in a buttered baking dish and bake 35 to 40 minutes.
Sweeter version: Drizzle with maple syrup or sprinkle with brown sugar before baking.
Dairy-free: Use plant-based butter or coconut oil.
Make ahead: Store sliced potatoes in cold water, refrigerated, up to 1 day.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 stacks
- Calories: 125
About the Recipe Author
Chef Jackie Page owns and operates Jackie Kennedy Catering in Pittsburgh and serves as food coordinator for Buy Fresh Buy Local/Farm to Table of Western PA. She cooks meals for 412 Food Rescue, graduated from culinary school at 47, and has represented Pennsylvania at the Great American Seafood Cook-Off. Read her story, The Principles of Kwanzaa from Chef Jackie Page.
About the Stylist
Anna Franklin is TABLE Magazine‘s food stylist and recipe developer. A Pittsburgh native and graduate of the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Academy of Culinary Arts, she spent years in restaurant kitchens and photo studios before turning to food styling. She is also the founder of Bazaaa Sauce, a Pittsburgh hot sauce microbrand. Read more of her recipes at TABLE.
About the Photographer
Dave Bryce is TABLE Magazine‘s principal photographer. Known for images that explore depth and dimension through space and light, he is also a commercial and editorial food photographer who works closely with chefs and food stylists. See more of his work in TABLE Magazine.
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