Sweet Potatoes Shine in the Summer

Is it just me, or do summers keep getting hotter? All this heat makes me crave frozen treats, cold salads and lots of grilled veggies. Where do sweet potatoes fit in you ask? If you follow our blog, you know that our featured recipes prove that sweet potatoes aren't just for casseroles anymore. Try these 5 summer recipes that showcase just how versatile sweet potatoes really are!

Roasted Poblano Sweet Potato Salad

You may remember this salad from our Sweet n' Healthy blogger recipe contest. If it's not hot enough outside, add some heat with this southwestern salad. It's a great option for picnics and BBQs because it travels well and tastes even better on day 2. If you dice everything up really small you can even call it a salsa! Click on the photo for the recipe.

Southern Sweet Potato Skewers

For all those grillin' days of summer, here's a sweet n' savory idea.

1 lb fully cooked boneless ham, diced into 1-inch cubes

2 cups sugar-free apple juice

1/4 cup butter, melted

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 lb sweet potatoes, diced into 1-inch cubes

1 green bell pepper, diced into 1-inch squares

In a sealable plastic bag, combine ham, apple juice, butter and sugar. Mix gently, seal and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. In the meantime, bring a small pot of water to a boil. Add sweet potatoes; cook until almost tender, about 10 minutes; drain and set aside. Drain ham. Onto skewers, thread ham, sweet potatoes and bell peppers interchangeably. Grill until sweet potatoes are cooked through, about 15 minutes, turning halfway through.

Sweet Potato Popsicles

Sweet potatoes add a creamy texture to these refreshing pops without any dairy! Puree cooked sweet potato with apple juice until smooth. Fill popsicle molds and freeze.

Sweet Potato Salad Topped Burgers

This is a colorful spin on the traditional BBQ companion, potato salad. This works as your typical side but I like to grill burgers, lose the buns and top the patties with a dollop of the salad. Not your traditional potato salad - no longer your traditional burger!

2 cups medium diced sweet potatoes

1/2 cup raisins

2/3 cup finely diced red onion

1/3 cup finely diced celery

2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley

In boiling water, cook potatoes until fork tender; drain and cool. Soak raisins in hot water for 15 minutes; drain. In large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, raisins, onion, celery, ginger, mayonnaise and parsley; mix gently. Chill for 2 hours before serving.

Raw Sweet Potato Salad

Yup, I said it, raw! Turns out, sweet potatoes can be pretty refreshing without being frozen. Try this tasty salad from the blog Christie's Corner.