Sweet Potato Melts

I made these the day after making the Brussels sprout melts. I think this may become a lunchtime theme. I had plenty of bread left over, and I needed to use up more of my farmers market haul. Veggie melts like these are a great way to get in your vegetables and they make quite a yummy lunch. This one was inspired by my love of sweet potatoes fries with garlic aioli, and then I added some onions and parmesan because, well, I always do. Unlike the Brussels sprouts melt, this actually was planned in advance - I got the idea one day just sitting around, so I wrote in in the notes section of my phone as usual. Unfortunately, I was missing one element from my original plan that I think would have been delicious - I was planning on topping these with a little arugula lightly dressed with lemon juice and olive oil. If you have those ingredients, I'd highly suggest you give it a try (and then tell me what you think!). But I assure you these sweet potato melts are still plenty delicious without!



Sweet Potato Melts
Yield: 2 servings

Ingredients
For the sandwich:
1 sweet potato
1 medium red onion
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Garlic aioli (see below)
4 1/2-inch thick slices of hearty country bread
1/2 c grated parmesan cheese
For the aioli:
1/2 c mayonnaise
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic
Squeeze of lemon juice
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

  1. Preheat the oven to 425. If you've scrubbed the sweet potato, you don't need to worry about peeling it unless you feel strongly about such things. Cut in half lengthwise, then slice into 1/4-inch thick half moons. Peel the onion and slice in the same way as the sweet potato.
  2. Add to a baking sheet (or a rimmed pizza stone, if you have one) and toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for about 20-25 minutes, or until lightly browned. Once the vegetables are out, preheat the broiler if needed.
  3. While the vegetables cook, make the aioli: add the mayonnaise and parsley to a bowl. Mince the garlic, add a pinch of the kosher salt, and use the flat side of your knife to mash it to a paste.
  4. Add the garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice to the mayonnaise, season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. The aioli should have a fairly strong garlic flavor.
  5. Spread a thin layer of aioli on each slice of bread1, top with the vegetables, and finish with the parmesan. Cook under the broiler until cheese is melted and browned.
Notes:
  1. You will have leftover aioli. I fully expect you to roast any vegetable you can find and use the aioli as a dip.

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