When you think of sweet potatoes, there’s a good chance that Thanksgiving and maybe even marshmallows come to mind, right? Or maybe not. Perhaps you think, as we do, that sweet potatoes deserve better than a once-a-year appearance at Thanksgiving (and a too-sweet topping of marshmallows). Maybe you already know that a sweet potato’s mellow, natural sweetness pairs beautifully with salty, oniony, creamy, spicy, buttery, herbal, and yes, sweet flavors.

Here are our favorite ways to cook sweet potatoes: roasted, puréed, layered in a gratin, sautéed in a breakfast hash, and baked in a pie (a traditional southern dessert that we’ll take any day over pumpkin pie). We love these dishes for their full rich flavors and for their ability to take sweet potatoes from holiday to everyday.

Light or dark, the flavor is the same

地瓜的形状，肤色和肉色差异很大。它们的质地也有所不同，并分为干燥和湿润的品种。与湿润的薄层相比，干粉的红薯具有浅棕褐色的皮肤和略带淡淡的质地，湿润的皮肤的肤色从铜到紫色不等，并且质地更奶油。我们发现，最终，外观和质地的变化在烹饪和风味方面几乎没有影响。有人说，肉色越深，土豆越甜，但我们还没有发现这是真的。

在市场上，寻找没有柔软斑点或瘀伤的坚固，无瑕的地瓜。At farmers’ markets, you’ll see varieties with names like Porto Rico, Centennial, Beauregard, and Garnet (also called Garnet Yams) The terminology can be confusing; seeSweet potatoes vs. yamsfor the distinction between them. Store all sweet potatoes in a cool, well-ventilated spot. They don’t keep as well as white potatoes, so use them within a week or two after buying. Never refrigerate them raw, as they’ll spoil even more quickly.

切割后，红薯呈棕色，因此，如果您想提前剥去它们，将剥落的土豆浸入水中以阻止变色，或者在煮熟之前剥离并切成薄片。

Try spicy and salty seasonings—but go easy on the sweet ones.As you’ll see in the recipes, a sweet potato’s full, nutty sweetness is a great match for savory flavors as diverse as country ham, cayenne, cilantro, and even bourbon. But when it comes to sweet ingredients, use a light hand. You’ve probably noticed that many sweet potato recipes call for large amounts of sweeteners like corn syrup and maple syrup (and yes, marshmallows). We think this is overkill. Sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so just a little sweetener heightens their flavors nicely—we’ve included a small amount of honey in theSpicy Roasted Sweet Potatoesand just a touch of molasses in theMashed Sweet Potatoes. As for marshmallows, we save them for camping trips.