Young professional by day and culinary adventurer by night, Alicia loves to share hospitality and homecooked meals with friends. She writes Jaybird, a blog about finding home and happiness wherever life takes you. Say hi on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and check out her recipe collections on Pinterest!
I’m sure it surprises no one that I’m a bacon fiend. From waking up to the smell of bacon on childhood Sunday mornings to curing my own earlier this year, I can’t get enough. Speaking of which, have you seen this bacon alarm clock?
While this post could easily turn into an ode to crispy pork belly and a roundup of all the amazing bacon-related recipes and gadgets I’ve found on the internet (just one favorite: bacon-wrapped avocado), I’m holding back for the greater good. The most important thing I have to share with you today is this:
Yes, bacon-wrapped sweet potatoes are just as good as they look, and yes, they are incredibly easy to make for a special breakfast, potluck or party hors d’oeuvres, or-I have to be honest- for dinner, though you may pretend you’re making them as a snack or classy appetizer and then realize that you’ve eaten eight and you aren’t hungry anymore…once you have one, you’ll understand what I mean!
This delectable recipe comes from Food Renegade with a few tweaks. I often wrap just a couple in bacon to save the precious commodity for other treats and then eat most of the sweet potatoes spiced but unwrapped. I’d love to hear how you’d make this recipe!
Bacon-Wrapped Sweet Potatoes – Serves 6-8 as an appetizer Prep time: 12 minutes Cook time: 45 minutes
2 medium-small sweet potatoes 1 pound (16 slices) bacon 2 tablespoons melted butter (or coconut oil for dairy-free) 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1 teaspoon finely ground sea salt optional: a pinch of cayenne pepper for extra heat
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Place an oven-safe metal rack on top. Peel sweet potatoes and quarter lengthwise, then cut each quarter in half twice for 32 pieces total. Put in a large mixing bowl.
Combine melted butter or coconut oil, chili powder, salt, and cayenne if using. Pour over the sweet potatoes and toss until evenly coated.
Halve bacon slices width-wise so you have 32 pieces. Wrap each sweet potato with a slice. You can use a toothpick to hold the bacon in place or skewer multiple pieces on a longer skewer. I place them “just so” right on the baking rack so the bacon will stay in place without a skewer if I’m not serving them as appetizers.
Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork slides easily into the sweet potatoes and the bacon is nice and crispy. Remove from heat, drizzle with maple syrup if desired, and allow to cool before serving.
The original recipe with links to choosing the best ingredients can be found at Food Renegade: Bacon Wrapped Sweet Potato Bites.