Baked Yam Recipes

HOW TO BAKE A YAM

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 425°. Sweet potatoes and yams are forgiving vegetables, so you can cook them at temperatures ranging from 375-450°. This means you can place them in the oven while you cook other food.
• Line a baking pan or dish with aluminum foil. Yams tend to ooze syrupy juice, which can be difficult to clean up. Lining your pan ensures an easy clean up process. Don't wrap your yams or sweet potatoes in aluminum foil. Simply lay them on the foil.
• Wash and pierce the yams. Gently scrub the yams under cold water. Poke each yam four or five times with a fork or sharp knife. Put them in the baking dish. You can drizzle vegetable or olive oil on the yams if you choose. Rub the oil evenly over the skins. For a paleo or clean eating variation, coat the sweet potatoes or yams in coconut oil.
• Bake for approximately 1 hour. Once during cooking, turn them over. The sweet potato or yam is done when the yam is soft. Touch it with an oven mitt and test for softness. Insert a knife into the middle of the potato; it should easily glide into the potato if it's done. If it's not done, continue cooking. Another way to tell it is done is that the outside will be darker when it's done. Cooking time will vary depending upon the size of the yams. Larger yams will take longer to cook. The yams can take from 45 to 75 minutes to cook.
• Serve. Remove the yams from the pan and slice open with a knife. Serve the yam with small pats of butter. For a paleo or clean variation, cover with coconut butter and sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg. Another clean option is to top with maple syrup or honey. Add brown or granulated sugar and pumpkin pie spice for a sweeter taste. Add salt and pepper, paprika, or cumin for a more savory dish. Mix chili pepper with butter for a kick of spice.

ROASTED YAMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line a baking sheet or shallow baking dish with aluminum foil.
• Arrange slices of potato in the prepared pan so they are overlapping slightly. Season with salt and pepper and then drizzle olive oil over them as evenly as possible.
• Bake in the preheated oven until potatoes are tender and have begun to wrinkle around the edges, about 30 minutes.

PLAIN BAKED WHOLE YAMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 Farenheit. (Test oven temperature with thermometer to make sure your oven thermostat is correct.) Scrub yams with veggie brush under running cold water. This will abrade the skin enough so you don't have to make slits in them. Place in stainless pan large enough so yams fit comfortably without crowding. It's OK if they touch. Bake for 1 ½ hours. Yams are done when the flesh has pulled away from the skin and a knife goes in very easily. The skin will look somewhat charred, but the yams will not taste burned. Turn off oven and let yams sit in oven until room temperature. If that's not practical let them sit on the counter till cool. Refrigerate in their skins several hours or overnight, till cold, in a covered glass container. Peel, slice, and serve as a side dish, dessert, or snack. They are also good warm but really come into their own when chilled. If serving warm you can add a little orange juice if you like, but when eating them cold they are best on their own.

BAKED YAMS WITH SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick each yam with a fork in a few spots and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil, grapeseed oil, whole garlic cloves and saffron in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the garlic is soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Remove the cooked garlic with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board (reserve the infused oil). Using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until smooth; set aside.
• Make the aioli: Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a few inches of water to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan, then turn off the heat. Set the bowl with the egg yolks over the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water); whisk just until the egg mixture thickens slightly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using a hand mixer or a whisk, gradually beat in the saffron-infused oil in a slow, steady stream until the aioli is thick and creamy. (If it gets too thick, beat in 1 to 2 teaspoons water.) Mix in the mashed cooked garlic, grated fresh garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate.
• Remove the yams from the oven and let cool slightly. Split open and fluff the insides with a fork. Thin the aioli with water, if desired, and spoon onto the yams. Sprinkle with parsley.

CINNAMON BAKED SWEET POTATOES / YAMS

Steps:

• Wash sweet potatoes. Place a sheet of tinfoil into a 9 x 9 baking pan. Leave peel on potatoes and place in pan.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours to 2 hours depending on size or util potatoes stick tender with a knife.
• Remove from oven and slit each potato in half. (Peeling can be left on or removed.) Pour melted butter on each half. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top.
• Enjoy.

CRUNCHY YAM BAKE

Steps:

• Place yams in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Drain yams and place in a large bowl; mash. Stir in the egg substitute, brown sugar, salt and cinnamon. , Transfer to a 1-qt. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Cover and bake at 350° for 15 minutes. , Meanwhile, in a saucepan, melt butter. Add pecans and brown sugar; cook and stir until sugar is melted. Stir in cereal until coated. Sprinkle over yam mixture. , Bake, uncovered, 15-20 minutes longer or until a thermometer reads 160° and topping is golden brown.

BAKED CANDIED YAMS - SOUL FOOD STYLE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Wash the yams.
• Peel, then chop the yams ( make sure that they are about ½ inch thick.
• Place the yams into a 9x13 bake dish.
• Place the butter into a medium sized pot, then melt it over medium heat.
• Once the butter is melted, sprinkle in the white & brown sugar, ground cinnamon,ground nutmeg, ground ginger, and ground clove.
• Turn the stove off, mix the ingredients, then add in the vanilla extract.
• Next, cover the bake dish with foil, then bake the yams in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Pour the candied mixture over the yams, and try to coat all the yams with the candied mixture.
• Remove the yams from the oven, and baste them with the candied mixture.
• Cover the yams, and bake them for another 15-20 minutes.
• Remove the yams from the oven, and let them sit for about 10 minutes before serving.

BAKED YAMS WITH RED ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a 9-inch round or oval gratin dish, place the red onion and yam slices in alternate layers.
• Put the apple cider, brown sugar, salt and pepper in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Pour the hot cider over the onions and yams and sprinkle with the fresh thyme.
• Distribute the pieces of butter over the top and cover the gratin dish with foil. Bake for 1 hour. Remove the foil and continue baking, basting often, until the onions and yams are tender, about 30 minutes.

GJELINA'S ROASTED YAMS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425. Cut the yams lengthwise into 4 wedges per yam. Put them in a large bowl, and toss them with the honey, ½ tablespoon of the Espelette pepper or crushed red-pepper flakes and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Let it sit for 10 minutes or so, tossing once or twice to coat, as the oven heats.
• Transfer the yams to a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet, season with salt and pepper and then bake until they are deeply caramelized around the edges and soft when pierced with a fork at their thickest part, approximately 30 to 35 minutes.
• As the yams roast, combine the yogurt, lime juice and remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl, and whisk to combine, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
• When the yams are done, transfer them to a serving platter, drizzle the yogurt over them and garnish with the remaining Espelette pepper or red-pepper flakes, the scallions and some flaky sea salt if you have any.