You know you've come across a great recipe when you eat the same thing 3 or 4 nights in the same week! That's what happened with this recipe. Part of it was that it was just so darn simple to make. It's also incredibly healthy, filled with a lot of nutritious, all-natural ingredients. But the biggest factor was the taste! This dish is to die for! It's the perfect blend of sweet and savoury. The saltiness from the pesto is the perfect compliment to the sweetness of the potato and honey. The pecans add an awesome crunchy factor. It's a great option for anyone who is vegetarian, as there is no meat in this dish. Check out the recipe by clicking the title of this post or the "read more" link. |
As I began to put it all together, I decided to add in some homemade pesto that I had stored in the freezer. Pesto is really easy to make. It's just fresh basil, pine nuts, olive oil, garlic, and Parmesan cheese. My mother and sister-in-law made a ton of it a while back when they had a huge amount of fresh basil to use up. So they froze some of it in ice cube trays for me to keep in my freezer. It's perfect (and very easy) to pop out a few cubes when I want to add a little something special and decadent to a recipe, just like I did here.
You could easily use prepared pesto, but if you have a chance to make your own, I highly recommend it. Using the ice tray method to make a large batch and freeze it for later use is a great way to make it ahead of time, whenever you get the chance.
Anyway, back to the recipe. I decided to mix the pesto with goat cheese, add in some pecans, and drizzle honey over top. I can't emphasize how much I love this dish, and I'm not kidding when I said I've already had it 3 nights for dinner this past week alone, that's how good it is. I also had it one day for lunch at work. Okay, I know. I need to move on.....eventually.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Scrub sweet potatoes, pierce with a fork, and bake in oven for 45 minutes, or until tender.
- Mix pesto and 1/2 of the goat cheese together in a bowl. (Tip: you may wish to warm it slightly in the microwave first)
- When sweet potato is fully cooked, carefully take it out of the oven, place on a dish and slice lengthwise.
- Pour pesto and goat cheese mixture over both halves of the sweet potato. Use a fork to mix it in with the sweet potato flesh.
- Sprinkle the rest of the goat cheese over top.
- Add pecans and drizzle honey over the whole thing.
- Enjoy!!