Rural Mom’s Garlic Herb Sweet Potato Recipe

There’s very little prep or cooking savvy needed to prepare these highly-addictive and delicious grilled garlic herb sweet potatoes.

I’ve been making them for years and they are always a hit at barbecue time, even with the kids or adults who normally wouldn’t opt to eat sweet potatoes.  Trust me, there’s a huge difference between a baked sweet potato and these savory delights!

This recipe can be translated to a charcoal grill, but turns out best when a gas grill is used.

Ingredients needed:  Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO,) sweet potatoes, garlic herb ground spice mix (such as McCormick Grill Mates Roasted Garlic and Herb or OR Spike Garlic Magic and Spike 5 Herb Magic)

Tools needed:  Foil, basting brush, cutting board, slicing knife, cookie sheet

Gently wash any dirt from sweet potatoes with water and pat dry.

On cutting board, use slicing knife to cut the ends off the sweet potatoes, then slice potatoes, approximately one quarter-inch thin.  (Note: you can slice thicker, but you will need to allow for longer cook time and the sweet potatoes will take on more of a “baked” texture.)

Cover a cookie sheet with foil.  Turn up the edges of the foil slightly  around the perimeter.  Lay sweet potato slices on foil, leaving about one quarter-inch space between slices.

Pour a drizzle of EVOO on the top of each slice, then use basting brush to fully coat.

Sprinkle garlic herb season on the top of the EVOO-coated sweet potato tops.

Flip sweet potatoes slices over and repeat the basting and seasoning steps.

Preheat grill.

Depending upon what you are grilling and how your grill is set up, there are several ways you can cook the sweet potato slices:

1) Directly on bottom grill grate over a medium heat- this method will offer more of a “charred” look to the sweet potatoes (as pictured) but absolutely no burnt taste.

Slide foil with sweet potato slices off of the cookie sheet onto the grill grate, foil side on the grill, sweet potato slices resting on top of foil.  Grill until top of the sweet potato slice begins to look slightly translucent and cooked on outer rim.  Flip sweet potatoes and continue to cook until completely softened.

2) Indirectly on top grate over any heat setting – this method takes a little bit longer, but produces less “char.”

Slide foil with sweet potato slices off of the cookie sheet onto the top grill grate, foil side on the grill, sweet potato slices resting on top of foil.  Grill until top of the sweet potato slice begins to look slightly translucent and cooked on outer rim.  Flip sweet potatoes and continue to cook until completely softened.

Remove from grill, serve and enjoy!

Tips:  Use a fork to check the softness of the sweet potato slices.  Holding the fork flat, press gently into the side of one of the slice, if the potato begins to easily “mash,” it’s done.

If you make a mistake and remove the potato slices too early, simply place on a microwave safe tray and microwave for half-minute intervals until fully cooked.