Appetizers
Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese Cranberry and Pecans
Description
As someone whose greatest fear at any gathering I host is running out of food (or worse, wine), I feel a compulsive need to contribute to any party I attend. While my friends appreciate the generosity, my motives are not as selfless as they appear. You see, while I want the appetizers I bring to be crowd pleasers, I also bring something I personally intend to devour. These Sweet Potato Rounds with Goat Cheese, Cranberry, and Pecans? Guess who inhaled the majority of them at the party to which she just brought them?
Ingredients
- 2 large, long, narrow, sweet potatoes , scrubbed, unpeeled, and cut into 1/2-inch-thick coins (about 1 3/4 pound)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon pure maple syrup or honey
- ¼ cup toasted pecan halves
- 1 small shallot
- ½ small Granny Smith apple
- 3 tablespoons reduced-sugar dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 2 ounces firm goat cheese
Directions
- Place baking racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with foil. Brush the sheets with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil each. With a very sharp knife, slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch slices. Arrange the slices in a single layer on the oiled baking sheets, then brush the tops with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown underneath, rotating the pans 180 degrees and changing their positions on the upper/lower racks halfway through. Remove the pans from the oven, flip the slices over, then roast for an additional 5 to 8 minutes, until tender.
- While the potatoes bake, in the bottom of a small mixing bowl, whisk together the vinegar, Dijon, and maple syrup. Finely chop the pecans, shallot (you should have about 1/4 cup), apple (no need to peel; you will have about 1/3 cup), and cranberries. Add them to the bowl with the dressing and sprinkle with the rosemary. With a rubber spatula, toss to coat with the dressing, scraping the spatula along the bottom of the bowl so that the ingredients are well moistened. Fold in half of the goat cheese.
- When the sweet potatoes are finished, let them cool slightly, then transfer them to a serving plate. Top with the pecan mixture, then sprinkle with the remaining goat cheese. Enjoy immediately.
