PAN-SEARED SWEET POTATO GHOSTS

HALLOWEEN SWEET POTATOES … for the ghostess with the mostess.

Add a little whimsy to your October dinners. Adults and kids alike will fall (seasonal pun intended-ish) in love with this simple side dish—such a playful nod to Halloween. Cuteness taking a backseat, these potatoes are nearly effortless to make and are rich and delicious—yes, you can simply slice potatoes on a mandoline and make this dish sans ghosts … but do me a favor and save that for November (mmm, bookmarking this recipe for Thanksgiving anyone?). Each bite is a synergistic combination of sweetness from the potato, savoriness from the smoked paprika, freshness from the thyme, and warmth from the butter.

SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO DIG THROUGH THE RECIPE FOR THE ANSWER. I used a metal piping bag tip as a hole punch to cut out the eyes and mouths of these ghosts—I got creative there, I know (I’m very proud, HA!). This method made the process super smooth and easy! As an extra tip, I noticed that the piping tip was digging into my hand a bit so I stuffed a piece of paper towel into it as a buffer and it worked beautifully.

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PAN-SEARED SWEET POTATO GHOSTS

Yield: 4 Servings

Author: Michelle Williams

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 5 MinTotal time: 15 Min

Ingredients

• Sweet Potato (1 medium-sized potato, peeled)
• Extra Virgin Cooking Olive Oil (1 1/2 tablespoons)
• Unsalted Butter (2 tablespoons, cubed)
• Smoked Paprika (1/4 teaspoon)
• Fresh Thyme Leaves (1 teaspoon)
• Salt (to taste)
• Pepper (to taste)
• Finishing Salt (a pinch)

KITCHEN TOOLS

• Cutting Board
• Pointed Chef's Knife
• Round Metal Piping Bag Tip (to use as a hole punch for the ghost's eyes and mouth)
• 10 Inch (or bigger) Non-Stick Frying Pan
• Rubber Spatula OR Wooden Spoon
• Tongs OR Metal Spatula

Instructions

TO CUT YOUR SWEET POTATOES INTO GHOSTS.

1. Cut the pointed ends of your sweet potato off. Discard them. Then, cut your remaining sweet potato into four thick slabs—when you look at the cut side it should be a full circle.
2. Focus on the circular cut-side of one slab at a time, cut the bottom off of your circle, and all of the way through the slab. On that flat side, use the tip of your knife to cut out three triangles. Discard them. This should leave you with a simple sheet ghost shape that has four little triangular edges at its bottom.
3. Slice each ghost-shaped slab into 1/8 inch thick slices.
4. To protect your hand, scrunch a piece of paper towel into the metal piping tip. Like a hole punch, punch three holes into each slice—two for the eyes and one below it for the "boo" mouth.

TO PAN-SEAR YOUR SWEET POTATOES.

1. Over medium-high heat, heat your olive oil.
2. Add your sweet potato slices. Season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Use your rubber spatula to mix so that your slices are evenly coated in your seasonings. Then let sit so that you start to get a little browning on the face-down side of your sweet potatoes—about 1 minute. Flip them.
3. Add butter cubes. Let them melt.
4. Add thyme leaves. Toss your sweet potatoes so that they are evenly coated. Once your sweet potato slices are soft enough to easily pierce with a knife, they are ready—about 2 additional minutes.
5. Transfer your sweet potatoes to either a serving plate or add them as a side to multiple dishes.
6. Serve. Eat. Enjoy.

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