How’s this for the perfect picture of an American summertime cookout?
Coleslaw? Check.
Pub Burgers with melted cheese fresh from the grill? Check.
Roasted sweet potato salad? Ch…
Wait! What?!? Yep, you read that right, this potato salad is made from spiced, oven roasted sweet potatoes.
And it is good!
First, thanks to the nice folk at Kraft who featured the recipe in an email and suggest using their own Zesty Italian salad dressing and mayonnaise. Of course, I had my own Italian dressing mix that I’d been wanting to try, and our household runs on Hellmann’s, so, yeh, I made a few changes.
INGREDIENTS
Seasoning Blend:
•1 tbsp sugar
•1 tbsp garlic powder
•1 tbsp onion powder
•1 tbsp salt
•2 tbsp oregano
•2 tbsp parsley
•1 tsp basil
•1 tsp black pepper
•1 tsp Aleppo pepper
•1/4 tsp celery salt
Italian Dressing:
•1/4 cup white vinegar
•2/3 cup veggie oil
•1/2 tsp lower sodium soy sauce
•2 tbsp seasoning blend
Roasted Sweet Potato Salad:
•6 cups peeled, cubed sweet potato (2)
•1/3 cup Italian Dressing
•3 tbsp mayonnaise
•3 stalks celery, chopped (about 1 cup)
•3/4 cup diced sweet onion
•1/2 cup roasted pecans (optional)
First, make the seasoning blend by combining all of the ingredients together in a jar or mixing bowl until well mixed.
Next, place two tablespoons of the seasoning blend in a blender jar with the vinegar and soy sauce and pulse to combine. With the blender running, stream in the oil through the hole in the lid until the dressing has emulsified. Or, you can just chuck all the ingredients into a jar with a secure lid and just give it a good shake until blended.
Heat your oven to 400º and line a baking pan with foil.
Toss the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes with three tablespoons of the Italian dressing until nicely coated, then arrange in a single layer on the foil lined baking pan.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring after 15 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are slightly browned on the edges and tender.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely.
Whisk 1/3 cup of the Italian dressing with the mayonnaise until blended and set aside.
Once the potatoes have cooled, toss with the celery, onion, pecans (if you’re using them) and the spiced mayonnaise until evenly coated, then cover and chill until it’s time to serve. Sadly, I didn’t have any roasted pecans on hand, but they would’ve been really nice in this already very nice salad. Next time I make this, I think I will be sure to have spiced, candied pecans to toss into the mix, and mebbe some dried cherries.
Yum.