Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Cranberry Vinaigrette.
I adore these sweet potatoes with cranberry vinaigrette! They are such a lovely little alternative dish for Thanksgiving, or a cozy weeknight meal you can enjoy with a salad. The potatoes are stuffed with goat cheese and topped with pecans and pancetta. The perfect balance of sweet and savory!
One of my favorite new dishes is on the menu today!
These roasted sweet potatoes are baked with goat cheese and drizzled with a cranberry herb vinaigrette, then finished with crispy pancetta and pecans. There is so much texture, flavor and the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
This is the kind of dish I love, because it can serve as your main meal or a super filling side dish. The flavors are so perfect for cozy season too.
And if you really want to make things exciting, this could make an appearance on your Thanksgiving table! Wild, right?
These are the crazy places that my mind goes.
Also, why does this meal feel soooo 2016 to me? Maybe even 2013? I was very into roasted sweet potatoes back then. I took a hiatus when I was pregnant with Max – they were one of the only aversions I truly had.
But I’m happy to say that they are back in my life right now and I.am.loving.them.
This is how I make it!
It all starts with some roasted sweet potatoes! Groundbreaking.These babies roast for over an hour, until the inside is super melty and cloud-like.
I do a few things while the sweet potatoes roast. First, I make the cranberry vinaigrette. You’re going to add some whole berry cranberry sauce to a delicious dressing. You can blend it with a mini blender or you can just leave it chunky and whole. Whisk it up and this is deeeelish.
It also means that you can use leftover cranberry sauce for the dressing! That’s always a win.
Next, I toast some pecans and cook some pancetta until it’s super crispy. The combination is SO tasty. If you don’t eat bacon, then you can skip the pancetta. I’m just a texture freak and live for a crunch. The salty nutty combo has me sold.
Once the potatoes are done, I slice open the center and gently mash a bit of the inside. It should be super tender. Like a sweet potato cloud.
And then, they get stuffed with goat cheese!
Back into the oven they go for a little cheesy nap.
I love this part because the goat cheese doesn’t fully melt but it gets so warm and soft. This means that every bite you take will have a little bit of that creamy, tangy cheese in it. Fabulous.
The potatoes bake with the goat cheese for 10 minutes or so. But right after is where the magic really happens.
I bring the potatoes out and drizzle them with the vinaigrette. It’s tangy and vinegary and just what I love.
Finally, a big sprinkle of the pancetta and pecans.
A sweet potato is satisfying on its own, but when you add in all of this goodness? Wowza. It’s so filling and feels like such a nourishing meal. It’s one of those dishes that you just feel good and satisfied after finishing.
And at the same time, you wonder how it’s so freaking good because it’s packed with flavor.
Love!!
Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Cranberry Vinaigrette
Sweet Potatoes with Goat Cheese and Cranberry Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes
- kosher salt and pepper
- 4 to 6 ounces goat cheese
- 3 tablespoons cranberry sauce, I prefer a whole berry version for this
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon honey
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, chopped
- ½ cup pecans
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and pierce them a few times with a fork, all over. Roast the potatoes for 60 to 75 minutes, until they are soft enough to cut through.
- While the potatoes are roasting, make the vinaigrette. Whisk together the cranberry sauce, vinegar, parsley, garlic, mustard, honey and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stream in the olive oil while whisking until the dressing is emulsified.
- Add the pecans to a skillet over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring often, until the pecans toast and become fragrant. Transfer them to a cutting board and coarsely chop them.
- Heat the pancetta in the same skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crispy. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and place it on a paper towel to drain excess grease.
- Once the potatoes are done, slice them down the center and gently mash the inside with a fork. You can add a sprinkle of salt and pepper in there too. Stuff the potatoes with 1 or 2 ounces of goat cheese. Return the pan to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Take the potatoes out and drizzle them with the cranberry vinaigrette. Top with the pecans and pancetta and extra fresh parsley if desired. Serve!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
Such a feel good meal!
