You know the kind even your manly man will eat. But packed full of nutrients without extra calories. 

Because let’s face it, most of us don’t need empty calories and are perfectly happy as long as we’re satisfied.  This chili is definitely satisfying.

Building the Chili Flavor

The sweet potato is the star ingredient as it balances the chili seasonings so well. 

Because I was making this chili to share the love with one my work family members, I kept the heat out of it and instead focused on flavor.  Chili powder, ground oregano, garlic powder, and cumin will never let you down.

I also fire roasted the corn and poblano peppers, adding a little smoky flavor to the chili.

If you want to stretch this Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili a little farther, double the quantity of veggies & diced tomatoes and season accordingly.  In addition to the sweet potatoes, I added carrots, onions, red bell & poblano peppers, zucchini, corn, diced tomatoes and black beans.

I hope you’ll give this dish a try and as always I welcome and enjoy your feedback.

Recipe inspiration.  My Healthy Choices lunch buddy shared a new favorite dish, which was baked sweet potato topped with taco seasoned ground turkey and salsa.  It was delicious and has been lingering in my mind ever since.

We are so ready for chili season and have a collection of recipes for your enjoyment.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili

My motivation for this Heart Healthy Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili was to deliver a flavor packed hearty chili.

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 lb. lean ground turkey cooked and drained
• 2 small sweet potatoes peeled & cubed (about 2 cups)
• 2 Tbl. olive oil divided
• 1 carrot peeled and sliced
• 1 med. onion diced
• 1 red bell pepper optional
• 1 poblano pepper fire roasted, skins removed
• 1 zucchini diced
• 2 ears corn on the cob or 1 cup frozen
• 1 28- ounce diced tomatoes
• 1 4.5- ounce can diced mild green chiles
• 1 14- ounce can black beans drained & rinsed
• 2 Tbl. chili powder
• 1 Tbl. dried oregano
• 1 Tbl. garlic powder
• 1 Tbl. cumin
• 1 tsp. salt
• cayenne pepper optional

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Spread diced sweet potatoes on a cooking spray coated baking sheet. Bake for 15 -20 minutes or until just tender.
• Meanwhile in a Dutch oven, add 1 Tbl. olive oil and brown ground turkey. Remove from pan and reserve. Add additional 1 Tbl. of olive oil and diced onion and carrot to pot. Saute until onion is tender. Add in remaining veggies and tomatoes, chiles, black beans and seasoning and bring to a gentle simmer; cook for 10 minutes.
• Add cooked sweet potatoes and ground turkey to the pot; heat through. Adjust seasoning to taste.
• Serve with favorite toppings, such as shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, cilantro.

Notes

Seasoning chili should be done according to taste. Adding gradually as the dish builds is how we arrive at the right balance.

The post Heart Healthy Turkey & Sweet Potato Southwest Chili appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

It has the perfect balance of savory (hello pesto) with a hint of sweetness.

I’ve literally made five variations of it in the past several weeks, sharing it with friends & family along the way.

Rave reviews from all of my taste-testers!

For anyone following a gluten free diet, or looking to incorporate more veggies into their meals, or just loves sweet potatoes as much as I do….this is your new secret weapon!

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, mineral rich (particularly potassium) and packed with vitamins (particularly immunity boosting Vitamin A / beta-carotene), which has anti-inflammatory properties – that’s music to my ears!

Sweet Potato crust is genius!

I first saw it in a Cooking Light post and instantly knew I would recreate it at home.

The Sweet Potato Crust Method

Because the crust is pre-baked before filling, causing the sweet potatoes to shrink, it’s important to overlap them a good bit and to be sure the diameter of the slices are large enough to stand above the edge of your quiche pan.

I’ve practiced several times now and believe I’ve found the right combination of slice thickness (1/8-inch), diameter (1-inch larger than the height of the pan), and spacing (overlap at least half of each slice).

Using a mandolin set at 1/8-inch thickness makes the slicing a breeze, but you can certainly cut the sweet potatoes by hand.

I found one large sweet potato will do the trick, but buy two just in case. The crust is baked at 375 degrees F. for 20 minutes before adding the fillings.

For the Veggie Quiche Filling

For this Veggie & Pesto Quiche I chose steamed broccoli, asparagus, and zucchini for my veggies, Basil Pesto, and feta and parmesan cheese.

The custard consists of 6 large eggs, 1 cup of heavy cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.

Place the quiche on a baking sheet then bake a 350 degrees F. for 35-40 minutes, until the center is just firm to the touch.

Allow to cool slightly before slicing.

The result is a perfectly cooked sweet potato crust, with a delicious savory veggie filling.

The feta cheese and basil pesto really bring wonderful flavors to this dish and the ratio of custard to filling is perfect.

Not too ‘eggy’ as my husband would say.

Sweet Potato Crust Veggie & Pesto Quiche is easily one of my new favorite quiches.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Sweet Potato Crust Veggie & Pesto Quiche

This quiche has a perfectly cooked sweet potato crust, with a delicious savory veggie filling. The feta cheese and basil pesto really bring wonderful flavors to this dish and the ratio of custard to filling is perfect.

Course Breakfast, Brunch, Entree, Lunch

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 35 minutes minutes

Prebake Sweet Potato Crust 20 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1-2 large sweet potatoes, peeled sliced 1/8-inch thick
• 2 1/2 cups steamed veggies (such as broccoli, zucchini, asparagus, yellow squash)
• 1/4 cup basil pesto recipe link in post
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream or half & half
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 pinch ground nutmeg

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375° F. Peel and slice sweet potato(s) into 1/8-inch slices. Spray pie plate or quiche pan with cooking spray, then line with sweet potato slices. Slices should be 1-inch taller than sides of pie plate and should be overlapped by half. Place pie plate on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, steam veggies and prepare pesto, reserve. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs with cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg.
• Remove prebaked sweet potato crust from oven. Lower oven temperature to 350° F. Arrange veggies in crust. Sprinkle with pesto and cheeses. Slowly pour custard over filling. Bake for 35-40 minutes, until center is set and just firm to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Delicious served warm or at room temperature.

Previous versions of sweet potato crust quiches. All delicious, but you’ll notice the crust is a bit wimpy. This is where using thicker and larger diameter sweet potato slices comes into play. Go big!

The post Sweet Potato Crust Veggie & Pesto Quiche appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

They are a hearty fill-you-up meal that eat like nachos. They also happen to be a fantastic way to use up your favorite leftover chili from the weekend.

And I call that winning!

Sweet Potato fries are the perfect pairing for a chili topping. The flavors meld so well together. For this recipe you can make your own Sweet Potato Fries or simply use frozen.

There is no shame in frozen French fries and these from ALEXIA are pretty darn good!! They bake up nice and crispy. The perfect base for your favorite chili and lots of cheesy goodness!

Now when it comes to the ‘Chili’ in these Sweet Potato Chili Cheese Fries – you can use your favorite or choose one of ours here. We have meaty chili, vegetarian chili, spicy chili, heart healthy chili. You pick.

When building your chili cheese fries, don’t skimp on toppings. We chose cheddar cheese, but Pepperjack or Monterrey Jack would be amazing! Fresh cilantro and sliced avocado are a must too!

Wrap me in a cozy blank, with a new Netflix series on the tv, and a plate of these Sweet Potato Fries and I’ll be one happy camper.

Is this the right time to ask…. What are you watching on Netflix right now? We’re always up for suggestions! Admittedly I was late to the Netflix game and only began to understand ‘binge watching’ about a year ago. I get it now ;-)

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best,
xo Libby

The post Addicting Chili Cheese Sweet Potato Fries appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

This Sweet Potato Praline Cake is a combination of our favorite Praline Banana Nut Muffins and heavenly Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar & Pecans.  I debated back and forth on what to name this coffee cake.  The cake itself is sweet, yet in a subtle way and oh so moist.  The praline topping is amazing.  Definitely reminiscent of a favorite Thanksgiving side dish. I thought I’d let these pictures do most of the talking.  Enjoy!

Did I mention how moist and delicious this Sweet Potato Praline Cake is?  I dropped off a piece to my neighbor and brought the rest to work today to Share the Love.  I was very popular :)  The girls in the office said my recipe title doesn’t do this cake justice.  Something about Shut the Front Door, Slap Your Mama, Get Down On It Cake came up.  They’re crazy like that.

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Sweet Potato Praline Cake {Share the Love}

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

praline topping…

• 1 stick butter melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

For the cake…

• 1 stick butter room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed cooked sweet potatoes about 2 medium
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour Bundt cake pan.

For the praline topping…

• In a medium bowl, combine melted butter, brown sugar, pecans, flour and cinnamon. Mixture will be thick.

For the cake…

• In a large bowl, cream together butter, cream cheese, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in vanilla, eggs, and sweet potato and mix until combined.
• In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually add to sweet potato mixture, beating until combined.
• Pour half of the cake batter into prepared pan. Crumble about 1/3 of praline mixture over batter. Top with remaining batter and crumble remaining praline mixture on top.
• Bake for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack before removing from pan. Lay a dinner plate over cake, carefully turn over to release from pan. Then place serving plate on cake and invert again to present.

The post Sweet Potato Praline Cake {Share the Love} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Once you discover how to arrive at the Perfectly Baked Potato, the meal possibilities are at least a dozen deep.  And that’s just where we’ll begin.

~ Perfectly Baked Potatoes Instructions ~
Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
Scrub potatoes under running water to remove any loose dirt, then dry.
Use a fork and pierce potatoes 3-4 times.
Place plain Russet baking potatoes unwrapped on a foil lined baking sheet.
Wrap sweet potatoes in aluminum foil and place on baking sheet.
Bake for 1 hour or until tender.
Slice and fluff with fork.

Now let’s get busy topping these Perfectly Baked Potatoes.

Classic Loaded Baked Potato {with Butter, Sour Cream, Bacon, Cheddar and Chives}.

Chili & Cheese Topped Baked Potato {with Sour Cream and Bacon}.

Baked Sweet Potato {with Buffalo Chicken and Crumbled Blue Cheese}.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes {with Brown Sugar and Pecans}.

Baked Potato {with Tomatoes, Basil Pesto & Fresh Mozzarella}.

Baked Sweet Potato {with Sautéed Mushrooms & Spinach Topped with Jarlsberg Cheese}.

Baked Potato {with Garlic Roasted Broccoli & Cheddar Cheese}.

Baked Sweet Potato {with Curried Chicken and Cilantro}.

Baked Breakfast Potato {with Scrambled Eggs, Avocado, Tomato & Queso Fresco}.

Baked Sweet Potato {with Steamed Asparagus, Goat Cheese & Fried Eggs}.

Sliced Twice Baked Potato {with Bacon, Parmesan & Herbs}.

Pulled Pork Baked Potato {with a side of slaw}.

Southwest Baked Potato {with Cottage Cheese}.

The post Perfectly Baked Potatoes {and a dozen plus ways to top them} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I’m okay with turkey. But I LOVE Sweet Potato Casserole and Summer Squash Casserole. I mean full on love affair.

It’s funny how holiday traditions change and evolve over the years. For us, Thanksgiving is celebrated the weekend before.

I’m certain this was originally born out of doing physical inventory at work over the long Thanksgiving weekend. But it also allows our children to spend time with the other side of their families and not try and digest two holiday spreads in one day.

When I was growing up we enjoyed a vast array of appetizers for our Christmas Eve dinner.  A tradition that I carried into my adult life. 

Several years ago we agreed that we all loved our Finger Food Feasts so much that we would carry it over to Christmas Day as well.

We now build lavish “boards” loaded with everyone’s favorite nibbles. Our charcuterie board spans the width of our kitchen island and is reloaded throughout the day!

But when it’s time to sit down to our holiday formal dinner, you can bet Sweet Potato Casserole will be included.

The Recipe

This recipe has stood the test of time. Yes, there’s a good bit of butter and a generous dose of sugar. But in the end it’s delicious and satisfying and a family favorite!

The first thing to decide when preparing this dish – is fresh sweet potatoes or canned. I have made it both ways. If I have time to bake sweet potatoes first that’s always my first choice.

You can prepare this casserole in a 2 quart casserole dish like shown or a 9×13 baker. Both are delicious – you just get more streusel topping on the 9×13.

Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar & Pecans is a marriage of savory, sweet, crunchy and smooth. The streusel topping is dreamy and keeps them coming back for more!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Sweet Potato Casserole {with Brown Sugar & Pecans}

Sweet Potato Casserole with Brown Sugar & Pecans is a marriage of savory, sweet, crunchy and smooth. The streusel topping is dreamy and keeps them coming back for more!

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 12

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the sweet potatoes…

• 4 large sweet potatoes cooked & mashed or 1 40 oz. can sweet potatoes or yams
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 stick melted butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 5.33 oz. can evaporated milk
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. vanilla

For the pecan topping…

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 stick melted Butter

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• In a large bowl combine sweet potato ingredients and mix well. Pour into a 2-quart buttered casserole dish.
• In a small bowl combine pecan topping ingredients. Crumble on top of sweet potatoes.
• Bake for 45 minutes. Allow to rest for 10 minutes prior to serving.

The post Sweet Potato Casserole {with Brown Sugar & Pecans} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes {with Brown Sugar & Pecans}

Don’t reserve the special flavors of sweet potatoes with brown sugar & pecans for the holidays.  Here’s a quick & easy way to enjoy this holiday favorite all year long.

Simply follow this Perfectly Baked Potatoes guideline, then allow them to cool slightly.  Slice them in half and scoop out the middles.  Mash the sweet potato with butter, salt, pepper and a dash of cinnamon then return to the skins.

Combine the topping ingredients then crumble over the top of each potato half.  Return them to the oven for 30 minutes until the topping is nice and golden brown and bubbly.

These Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Brown Sugar & Pecans will remind you of your favorite sweet potato casserole.  I would be happy with these for lunch or dessert.

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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes {with Brown Sugar & Pecans}

Cook Time 1 hour hour

Total Time 1 hour hour

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 2 small – medium sweet potatoes baked until fork tender
• 1 tsp. butter
• salt & pepper to taste
• pinch of cinnamon

For brown sugar & pecan topping…

• 1 1/2 Tbl. butter melted
• 2 Tbl. brown sugar
• 2 Tbl. flour
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake sweet potatoes until fork tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
• Scoop out centers into a small bowl, leaving a little sweet potato around edges to help skins keep their shape. Mash potato with a teaspoon of butter, then season with salt, pepper and a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon.
• Divide potatoes evenly between the skins and place in a shallow baking pan.

For brown sugar & pecan topping…

• Combine flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans in a small bowl. Drizzle with melted butter. Mixture should be crumbly, not soupy. Divide topping over four potatoes.
• Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

The post Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes {with Brown Sugar & Pecans} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

Baked Sweet Potato Fries are almost a staple for us.  There’s something so addicting about the sweet heat that comes from the sweetness of the potato combined with the Cajun herb seasoning.  Any time we’re having burgers or anything else that pairs well with fries, we’ll likely turn to these.

Parmesan Crusted Homemade Fish Sticks went oh so nicely with our Baked Sweet Potato Fries.  In fact, they split the fare for the cookie sheet and baked along side of each other.  Now that’s teamwork.

You might also love Chili Cheese Sweet Potato Fries as much as I do.

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Sweet Potato Fries {Cajun Herb Seasoned}

There's something so addicting about the sweet heat that comes from the sweetness of the potato combined with the Cajun herb seasoning. 

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 2 med-large. cut into 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch sized fries
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Mrs. Dash Garlic & Herb seasoning

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
• Cut sweet potatoes to 3/8-inch to 1/2-inch sized fries. Toss with olive oil and seasoning. Spread in single layer on baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, flip fries, then bake an additional 10 minutes or until fries are tender and golden browned.

The post Baked Sweet Potato Fries {Cajun Herb Seasoned} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

I love hash.  Growing up in New England it wasn’t unusual for us to have Hash and Baked Beans with our eggs for breakfast (or dinner).  I’m not really sure if that was common in all households or if it was just that Mom loved them both so much.  This Pork & Sweet Potato Hash is a great way to use last night’s leftover pork.

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Pork & Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs {Breakfast for Dinner}

Cuisine Breakfast

Servings 2

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

• 1 cup cubed cooked pork leftover from last night’s tenderloin or roast
• 1 cup cubed cooked sweet potato
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 2 sprigs fresh lemony thyme leaves only minced
• 2 fresh sage leaves minced
• 1 Tbl. olive oil
• 2 Eggs
• sea salt & freshly cracked pepper

Instructions

• In a heavy skillet, add 1 Tbl. olive oil and saute onion until tender.
• Add cubed pork, sweet potato, and fresh herbs and cook over medium heat pressing down ingredients to brown slightly, turning occasionally.
• Once hash has heated well and gently browned.
• Season with salt & pepper to taste.
• Serve topped with poached eggs.

The post Pork & Sweet Potato Hash with Poached Eggs {Breakfast for Dinner} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.