I know sweet potato casseroles – usually made with lots of butter and marshmallows – are a sugary, super sweet American classic, especially around Thanksgiving.

But I’ve never really liked syrupy, sugar-covered casseroles, so I’ve never cooked my sweet potatoes this way.  To me they taste like dessert, and I don’t like to eat dessert alongside the roast turkey and gravy and mashed potatoes.

So today I’m proposing something completely different for a Thanksgiving side: healthy, savory sweet potato home fries – cooked with onions and garlic and a touch of fresh herbs, olive oil, salt and pepper.

I think the combo of  slightly sweet potatoes and slightly salty onions, garlic, and fresh herbs is so much more interesting and flavorful.

I call this recipe “skinny” too, because it cuts out all the sugar and sweeteners and adds healthy and flavorful onions, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.

Here are all the ingredients you’ll need to make sweet potato home fries – this one is easy, with only 5 key ingredients.

Begin by chopping an onion.

Cut off the root end and slice the onion in half lengthwise.

Then peel off the skin and place the onion flat-side-down on the cutting board.

Cut thin strips lengthwise.

Then cut in the opposite direction, dicing the onion.

Next, grab a couple of cloves of garlic.

Place a clove on your cutting board, lie your knife flat over the clove, and smash down with your palm or your fist, smashing apart the clove.

Now you can easily peel of the skin, and some of the mincing has already been done for you.

Run your knife through the clove in all directions, mincing up the garlic.

Next up: the sweet potatoes.

Sweet potatoes are a nutritious superfood, so they’re a great alternative to regular white potatoes.  They’re full of Vitamin C to keep your immune system going strong as well as tons of the antioxidant beta-carotene for smooth, healthy-looking skin.

Peel the skin off a couple of sweet potatoes.

Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise.

Place the first half flat-side-down on the cutting board and cut thin strips lengthwise.

Then chop in the opposite direction, cubing the potato.

Grab a fresh sprig of rosemary.

Isn’t that the funniest word, “sprig”?

I always picture an adorable little toddler, with a stuffy nose and a slight speech impediment, trying to say how much she loves the “spring”…

Hold on to the top of the sprig with one hand and then use your other hand to slide down the stem, pulling off all the rosemary as you go.

Pile up the rosemary and run your knife through the pile in every direction, chopping it up.

Repeat the same steps for the fresh thyme.

Heat some olive oil in a large skillet or sauté pan over medium high heat.

Cook the diced onion for a few minutes, until it’s softened.

Then add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

Add the sweet potatoes and season with salt and pepper.

Cooking Tips:

I’ve found the best method for keeping the potatoes from sticking to the bottom of the pan is to adjust the heat to medium-low.

Then partially cover the potatoes to help speed up the cooking time.

And stir often to make sure none of the onions and potatoes are sticking and burning to the pan.

When the potatoes are softened and easily pierced with a fork, add the freshly chopped rosemary and thyme.

Season to your liking with salt and pepper, and serve.

The onions and garlic add a lot of savory deliciousness to the home fried potatoes, but it’s the fresh rosemary and thyme that really make this dish.

I think you’ll like this savory “home fries” version of sweet potatoes even better than any marshmallow casserole side dish.

And they’re definitely not just for Thanksgiving.

These home fries are easy enough to through together on a busy weeknight for a healthy, tasty side dish.

I make these yummy, savory potatoes regularly throughout the cold weather months as a more nutritious alternative to regular potatoes.

Here is the complete printable recipe:

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