Melting Sweet Potatoes with Buttery Brown Sugar Glaze

Choose medium Garnet or Jewel sweet potatoes featuring firm, smooth skin for these melting sweet potatoes in preparation. The orange flesh of the fruit contains the essential moisture needed to become tender once placed in the oven, while the butter creates a sticky, caramelized glaze which is made with brown sugar in addition to cinnamon around the sliced rounds of the fruit.

I peel the potatoes and cut the rounds to the same thickness before I place them into the dish. Then, one systematically places them in a single, slightly overlapping layer. Each round sits flat against the bottom surface. Slices of different thicknesses create some pieces that remain firm while thinner ones exceed. The broth is added in during the initial bake along with half of the butter. This step initiates the softening of the potatoes before the application of the sugar glaze occurs.

The second stage of the baking process is where the color starts to develop. This occurs as the glaze slowly cooks onto the slices while they remain in the oven. I look for edges that are deeply caramelized along with a fork that easily slides through the center with no resistance. After that, I leave the dish on the counter for 5 minutes so that the glaze thickens around the slices on the plate (I never skip that necessary rest). The top portion of each individual round remains clearly visible over the rich pan juices.

I serve them with roasted chicken, holiday turkey, or Maple Mustard Pork Tenderloin whenever dinner requires a sweet side dish. On a weeknight, I also placed the plain slices onto the table out. A spoon is resting nearby for the buttery pan juices that are left in the dish, especially with the dark syrup located at the edges of the corners.