Macheesmo

Last week’s poll winner was an appetizer! I got very lucky with this one. I was a bit at a loss as to what to make and then I went to a great party on Saturday and one of the hosts, who has actually guest posted on Macheesmo before, made this awesome version of hummus with sweet potatoes!

Sweet potato hummus tastes totally different than your normal old hummus. It’s a bit sweet but still has that awesome sesame taste to it. It also has plenty of spice which really makes the dish in my opinion.

This recipe makes a good amount of hummus. You may want to double it though if you are expecting more than 10 people. I guarantee that it will be pretty popular.

As an aside, you obviously don’t have to wait for a party to make this stuff. I made up a batch for this post and even used it on sandwiches throughout the week. Delicious.

Sweet Potato Hummus

by Nick

Serves:

Makes about 5 cups

Prep Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

45 mins

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Ingredients

4 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 Cup Tahini

3/4 Cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon cumin

2 Teaspoons Kosher salt

1/2 - 1 Teaspoon of cayenne depending on your heat desires

1 Teaspoon black pepper

1 lemon, juice only

Pitas, cut into chips (I would guess that 12 would get you through the whole amount of hummus)

Instructions

1) Cube potatoes into 1-2 inch cubes after you peel them and sprinkle them with a bit of olive oil and salt.

2) Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Give them a toss every 10 minutes or so to make sure they are cooking evenly. They should be almost caramelized and fork tender.

3) Add all the potatoes to a blender or food processor along with the Tahini and olive oil. Then buzz it up! If you are using a blender you’ll probably have to stop and stir it after 10 seconds or so as it is really thick.

4) If the blender is running smoothly you can add all the spices and lemon juice right in. If the blender isn’t, put hummus in a bowl and then added all the spices.

5) Chop them up pita into squares and bake them with just a touch of olive oil. They should crisp up after about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Roasting the potatoes

Before we blend these guys up, we need to roast them. This will soften them up, but also concentrate that awesome sweet potato flavor. Cube them into 1-2 inch cubes after you peel them and sprinkle them with a bit of olive oil and salt.

Into a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes. Give them a toss every 10 minutes or so to make sure they are cooking evenly. They should be almost caramelized and fork tender.

Making the hummus

Add all your potatoes to a blender or food processor along with your Tahini and olive oil. Then buzz it up! If you are using a blender you’ll probably have to stop and stir it after 10 seconds or so as it is really thick.

Tahini is a really important ingredient in any hummus but it gives a definite boost to this stuff. Without this, the sweet potatoes would be way too sweet I think.

Adding the spices

If your blender is running smoothly you can add all your spices and lemon juice right in. My blender was struggling a bit because those potatoes were tough to get to cooperate.

So once I had the right texture, I put my hummus in a bowl and then added all my spices.

Meanwhile, don’t forget about your pitas! Chop them up into squares and bake them with just a touch of olive oil. They should crisp up after about 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Yes. I know you can buy pita chips and feel free to do so. If you want some bang for your buck though, making them is the way to go. Since you have the oven on anyway from roasting, it makes sense.

Then just, ya know, eat it.

A very simple appetizer that keeps really well. In fact, the flavors really intensify after a day or two in the fridge. This is a party pleaser. I know because I was pleased at a party where it was served!

Give it a shot!