15 Delicious Ways To Use Canned Sweet Potatoes
When you think of sweet potatoes, you might think of Thanksgiving or fall dishes. But the convenience of having canned sweet potatoes in the cupboard gives you the opportunity to use them all year round. Canned sweet potato comes in a variety of options such as whole or cut, mashed or puréed, and even in syrup. No matter which one you choose, each has its benefits and can be used in many ways. Sweet potatoes contain vitamin C, vitamin B6, potassium, niacin, copper, protein, and fiber, making them a nutritious addition to anything you create.
Whether you're roasting them in the oven or frying them in a pan, sweet potatoes take a long time to cook. Purchasing the canned version allows you to save time and focus more on flavor and trying new recipes. You can make breakfast, brunch, lunch, main courses, side dishes, and desserts with this colorful canned food from your pantry. From a piping hot stack of pancakes and savory gnocchi to an irresistible sweet potato pie, here's how to enjoy sweet potatoes for just about any meal.
Add it to your next casserole
There are plenty of scrumptious iterations of sweet potato casserole, and any one of them makes a great dish. If you want to try something a bit different, a sweet potato casserole with bacon adds a savory element that'll whet your appetite. Since this recipe calls for mashed sweet potatoes, the easiest method would be to purchase mashed or puréed canned sweet potatoes, but you could opt for cut sweet potatoes and mash them yourself.
The best part is that the prep time is cut in half since you don't have to cook the sweet potatoes. Pop the casserole in the oven to bake as directed and wait for the magic to happen. This tasty side dish mixes the sweetness of sweet potato with the crunchy, savory bacon. It's a match made in heaven.
If you prefer something on the sweet side, make a sweet potato casserole with bananas or toasted marshmallows as a secret ingredient.
Warm up with a sweet potato chowder
Stay warm during the colder months with a hearty, veggie-packed sweet potato chowder. Since we're using canned sweet potatoes that come pre-cooked and ready to eat, add them in toward the end with the heavy cream. Opt for whole or sliced sweet potatoes for this recipe and then cube them so they retain some shape. Top with the crispy bacon and roasted pumpkin seeds for extra textures and even more flavor.
While you can certainly follow a recipe, the wonderful thing about chowder is using up what you have in the refrigerator and pantry. You can get creative and use vegetables from your fridge or freezer such as peas, corn, carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, etc. Skip the bacon and add ground turkey, chicken, or canned ham. There's a lot of room for leeway; you could even blend everything together for a smooth, creamy soup instead.
Grill sweet potatoes for a salad
Instead of a basic potato salad, bring a grilled sweet potato salad to your next potluck or barbecue. It completely switches up the flavor profile and color of a potato salad to transform it into something fresh and unique. Canned sweet potatoes are already cooked, so the grilling process is more about adding flavor and dimension rather than cooking it. It really enhances the entire dish. This salad is fantastic to bring to a gathering because it can be served at room temperature or chilled; this allows you time to get to the party without worrying about it going bad. However, the chilled version is the perfect way to cool off on a warmer day.
The awesome thing about sweet potato salad is that you could make your own regular potato salad recipe and just swap out the potatoes for sweet potatoes. You can mix things up by adding celery, peas, pickles, or whatever you like to include. This dish is absolutely packed with deliciousness that everyone will rave about. There's nothing boring about a sweet potato salad.
Create a quick sweet potato pie
Sweet potato pie is a fantastic alternative to pumpkin pie when you're feeling all pumpkin-ed out over fall. This classic dish comes with the convenience of using canned sweet potatoes and frozen pie crust, so you can spend more time with loved ones rather than kneading a pie dough from scratch. If you have pumpkin pie spice, you can opt for that instead of adding the spices separately.
Sweet potato pie goes well served with whipped cream or whipped topping and an extra sprinkle of cinnamon for good measure. Try mixing cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice into the whipped topping ahead of time for extra festiveness. This delicious dish is the perfect quick dessert thanks to the frozen pie crust and canned sweet potato ─ and you can make it any time of the year. You just have to mix the ingredients and then bake it with little to no supervision.
Bake sweet potato fries or wedges
These elevated sweet potato wedges are a fantastic appetizer for your next family shindig. They're a tasty pivot from regular sweet potato fries as they use a savory brown butter streusel. For this recipe, get whole or sliced canned sweet potatoes. You'll want larger pieces since you need to slice them into spears or sticks. Make these as you would potato wedges. Once baked, top your sweet potatoes with the streusel. If you're making this for a gathering, add the streusel at the last minute so it doesn't get soggy.
This fragrant brown butter sweet potato dish is perfect for last-minute fall gatherings because you can make it with pantry essentials. If a brown butter and rosemary streusel isn't up your alley, keep it simple and make oven-baked sweet potato fries. Try them with ribs, burgers, or roasted chicken. These go well as a side for nearly any dish.
Try crafting your own homemade pasta
Homemade pasta of any kind feels so comforting, like a warm embrace with every bite, and you can make colorful sweet potato gnocchi at home without a lot of ingredients or fancy pasta-making equipment. The trick is to get whole or sliced canned sweet potatoes and put them in a ricer; this is the key to getting the correct texture for your gnocchi. Gnocchi is the perfect beginner pasta since the cooking process only takes a couple of minutes and the shape doesn't have to be perfect. Serve your sweet potato gnocchi with lemon ricotta, prosciutto, asparagus, or freshly grated Parmesan.
For more advanced pasta makers, try your hand at a scrumptious sweet potato ravioli. This meal takes a bit more time and energy to craft since you have to make the dough, fill the ravioli, cut into pieces, and then cook it. Sweet potatoes will make a tasty addition no matter what kind of pasta you make.
Cube sweet potatoes for hash and eggs
Tasty sweet potato hash and fried eggs is a scrumptious idea for breakfast. You'll need to cube hole or sliced canned sweet potatoes for this dish. Once you season them, you can add other ingredients like bacon, ham, onion, broccoli, bell pepper, or any veggies from your fridge for additional protein, color, and nutrients. It's the ideal way to finish up ingredients that would otherwise go bad like the bagged spinach that's nearing its use-by date, or that half an onion hidden behind last night's leftovers. You can truly get creative with the add-ins.
This goes well with over-easy or fried eggs, but you could easily do scrambled or poached eggs if you prefer. Plate your dish and then garnish with scallions and a generous amount of fresh cracked pepper. This meal only takes a few minutes or as long as it takes to cook the veggies, making it a perfect weekday breakfast. Give sweet potato hash and eggs a shot if you're in the mood for a savory and quick brekkie.
Whip up something memorable
Impress your guests (and yourself) by making something really special such as sweet potato aligot or sweet potato gulab jamun. These are the things to make when you want to show off or bring something unexpected to a dinner gathering. For both of these dishes, use any kind of canned sweet potatoes since they ultimately end up mashed.
To make the aligot, heat your sweet potatoes by doing a quick boil; you don't want to fry or bake them since it'll alter the consistency. We need a smooth base for this side dish. Once heated thoroughly, pass the sweet potatoes through a food mill or ricer. It's ideal for cheese lovers; adding melted cheese is the secret to a smooth aligot. Meanwhile, sweet potato gulab jamun makes an impressive dessert that hits all the right spots thanks to the saffron and cardamom. Sweet potato's versatility and taste make it an ideal choice when you want to have fun experimenting in the kitchen.
Bake a spiced sweet potato bread
You don't have to wait until autumn to eat a titillating spiced sweet potato loaf. It tastes good all year long, no matter the season. Use whole or sliced canned sweet potatoes since this recipe calls for them to be grated to retain some texture. Add in spices such as cinnamon, clove, allspice, and ginger to get the full warming spice flavor. The fantastic thing about a loaf like this is that you can customize it. Don't love clove? Don't add it and opt for extra cinnamon instead. You could even include chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans, diced dried fruits like apricots or figs, chocolate chips, cinnamon chips, or other spices like cardamom.
Spiced sweet potato bread is a great alternative to pumpkin loaf ─ or if you have both in your pantry, shake things up and substitute the full amount of sweet potato to make it half pumpkin, half sweet potato.
Make easy mashed sweet potatoes
Mashed potatoes are a classic side dish, so why not integrate sweet potatoes into the mix? You can use any type of canned sweet potatoes for this recipe. However, buying them puréed simplifies the process since you won't have to do any additional mashing. It's basically ready to go. This recipe is extremely easy and a huge time-saver, making it the perfect food to whip up if you're busy cooking holiday treats or simply want a quick side dish for weeknight eats.
If you have a go-to mashed potato recipe, simply swap the potatoes for sweet potatoes and season it as you normally would. Mashed sweet potatoes make an ideal side dish paired with meat such as turkey or ham. Top with butter, fresh rosemary, roasted garlic, hot honey, red pepper flakes, or fresh cracked pepper. Store it in the refrigerator until you're ready to eat it, and heat up any leftovers in the oven or microwave.
Pair your sweet potato with lentils
Lentils and sweet potatoes might be your next favorite combination. Keep cozy and warm your soul this season with a vegan sweet potato dal. This nutrient-dense dal is made with lentils and sweet potatoes to keep you satiated and delighted. The recipe calls for cubed sweet potatoes, so gather and chop whole or sliced canned potatoes so they retain their shape. Drop in your cubed canned sweet potatoes at the end so they warm up but don't get completely mushy. Serve in a bowl and top with additional cilantro and jalapeño.
Sweet potatoes and lentils make a delicious pairing with a soft texture. You could also try making easy spiced lentils as a side dish and add cubed sweet potatoes at the very end. Lentils aren't boring. This recipe is filled with flavor thanks to all the spices. Serve your favorite lentil dish with naan, rice, yogurt, roasted vegetables, or your meat of choice.
Save time with two-ingredient sweet potato pancakes
Pancakes are fantastic every month of the year. It's on nearly every breakfast and brunch menu for a reason. Shake things up by using canned sweet potato to make this scrumptious food. These sweet potato pancakes are especially convenient because they only require two ingredients: canned sweet potatoes and eggs. Yep, that's it! No need for flour or baking soda. This protein-rich version of pancakes can be jazzed up with a bit of cinnamon or nutmeg, or try canned sweet potatoes in syrup for a sweeter pancake. Mix the remaining syrup with a splash of maple syrup and drizzle over your finished pancakes.
Canned sweet potato purée works best, but you can use whatever version you have on hand as long as you mash, blend, or purée it. Do one can of sweet potatoes and then add one or two eggs depending on the consistency of the sweet potatoes and the size of your egg. These are super easy to whip up on a weekday morning for the kids, or before heading into work.
Give sweet potatoes and curry a shot
Curry and sweet potatoes blend together to create a fragrant, warm mixture. Try a sweet potato curry soup for a wonderful mixture of sweet and savory with a hint of heat. This soup calls for everything to be blended together in an immersion blender or standing blender, so you may use any kind of canned sweet potato you have on hand. If a creamy soup isn't your jam, skip the blending process and keep the texture as is. Serve with a side of basmati rice, naan, or roti. You can even freeze leftovers for up to three months; just reheat it on the stove and you're good to go. This curried soup has dimension and depth that'll entice your taste buds.
If you're in the mood for a different version of curry, you might want to make vegetable coconut curry. Simply add your cubed canned sweet potato with the other vegetables. You can either skip the butternut squash and replace it with sweet potatoes, or add it in as a bonus ingredient. This fragrant dish doesn't take too long to prep and cook, so you can make it as a weeknight meal.
Use it as a base for crispy chicken quesadillas
Cheese and chicken make an epic combination as it is, but the addition of sweet potatoes makes chicken quesadillas something you'll want to add to your recipe repertoire. Since it's used as a spread, make this recipe with mashed or puréed canned sweet potatoes. Add a dollop of the sweet potato mixture onto each tortilla followed by the chicken mixture and then cheese. The tortilla should be crisp and golden.
If you'd like more texture, try making this with cubed sweet potatoes instead. Chop them so they're about the same size as the beans. Serve with salsa, pico de gallo, hot sauce, or sour cream. These quesadillas are a heavenly blend of textures thanks to the smooth sweet potatoes and crispy tortillas, and they make a quick and simple meal. You can get creative with toppings and add-ins, whether you switch up the cheese, mash up the beans, or substitute chicken for steak. Kids will love coming up with their own unique combinations.
Drink your sweet potatoes instead
Sweet potatoes are a delight to eat, but you can drink them too! Give a sweet potato latte a shot ─ no caffeine needed. It's a scrumptious drink to enjoy on a chilly day. Or for a cold beverage, a sweet potato smoothie might just be the perfect addition to your morning routine.
Open a can and freeze small portions in an ice cube tray. If you prep a couple of cans ahead of time, you can add the pieces to future smoothies along with other frozen items such as bananas, berries, coconut, and more. Skip the dates if you opt for canned sweet potatoes in syrup since there's already a sweetness factor. This will be a thick and rich smoothie, but you can add more almond milk to loosen the consistency. Swap the almond milk for any other kind of milk if you prefer, such as oat, coconut, 2%, or whole. Add other spices such as ginger, cardamom, or allspice for a warming feel. This smoothie keeps you feeling satiated and looks decadent. Who can resist that alluring color?