Drool-worthy Roasted sweet potato wedges ... with a honeyed cinnamon kiss!

Why serve boring ol' mashed potatoes ... when you can these babies alongside your Thanksgiving turkey.  Less work, and more flavor.  AND, with all the calories you save, you can enjoy mass quantities of pie and chocolate cake with (almost) no guilt!

Natural sugary goodness, augmented with honey. 
Speaking of augmented, my silicone mat made cleanup mad-easy.

Sometimes, and by "sometimes" I mean "all the time," sweet potatoes ooze their natural sugary goodness and honey as they roast, causing charcoal bonding to the baking pan with such tenacity that only an overnight soaking followed by massive scrubbing can remove most of the damage.   So I strongly recommend your baking pan with some ooze-proof lining.  Usually I recommend foil for such purposes.  Except that today, just as I was reaching for the foil, I suddenly recalled owning a silicone mat.  Heat-safe up to 450F (depending upon brand) and inherently non-stickable, silicone mats are perfect for protecting pans along with my mind, which I lose when I forget to use any sort of liner.

To save a bit more time, don't peel the sweet potatoes.  Just give them a quick scrub before cutting into thick wedges.  A quick massage with olive oil, a drizzle with honey followed by a delicate sprinkle of cinnamon, and that's it!  Which is a good thing, because although the spuds can be cut up and refrigerated uncooked, they really don't reheat post-roast to the mind-blowing deliciousness that freshly baked provides.  Make your main course first, then maybe a half hour before you plan to sit down to dinner, pop the spuds into the oven.  By the time you finish the salad course, your sweet potatoes will be ready to grace the table.


Roasted sweet potato wedges
Yield:  8  servings

4 medium-sized sweet potatoes, scrubbed
2-3 Tbl. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
2 Tbl. honey
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 loosely packed cup parsley, coarsely chopped (for garnish)

Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with foil or (preferably) a silicone mat.  Set aside.

Cut each sweet potatoes into thick wedges, 8-12 per potato, depending upon size (of potato).

Place wedges in a large mixing bowl. Drizzle in olive oil; use your (hopefully clean) hands to gently coat wedges evenly with the oil. Sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper; gently toss again.  If not roasting right away, cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.  Remove from fridge 30 minutes before roasting.

Arrange wedges in single layer, cut sides down, on prepared baking sheet.  Roast 30 minutes.

Stir together honey and cinnamon; brush mixture over wedges.  Flip wedges to other cut side; brush again.   Continue to roast another 15-20 minutes or until potatoes begin to brown.

Transfer to serving platter; sprinkle with parsley (if desired).  Serve immediately.