Growing up, my experiences with sweet potatoes were limited to Thanksgiving and that iconic pan of sticky sweet orange mush with Kraft Jet Puffed marshmallows oozing on top and that brown crust that I loved to pick off first. At least two of my brothers still insist they don’t like sweet potatoes because of this childhood torture.
Besides, what does “Jet Puffed” mean anyway??? What person thought associating a food product with “a rapid stream of liquid or gas forced out of a small opening or an aircraft powered by one or more jet engines” sounded appetizing? Marshmallows have definitely come a long way since first being used as a natural throat lozenge in Egypt centuries ago. Nowadays, I think I’d make them myself first like these homemade marshmallows.
I know, I know. I take the fun out of everything. Just ask my kid.
#sweetpotatoes #coconutcream #bacon
Luckily, I have learned how to enjoy sweet potatoes in a healthier way, so much so that I am always looking for an excuse to include them in any meal I can.
Sweet potatoes not only add calories, but have much more nutrition than pasta, rice or white potatoes. They can be used in a variety of meals while on the trail. From a sweet breakfast beginning to a nutritious grain free pairing to almost any sauce. Just like the vegetables I start preparing in bulk that I write about here, sweet potatoes are something I dehydrate in large batches because I can use them for more than a few dishes.
You will read about the difference between sweet potatoes and yams but don’t worry. Sounds like your odds of accidentally using a yam instead of a sweet potato are small. Actual yams are not sold in the United States apart from small African stores, anything you find in your regular grocery store is a sweet potato. They can be deep orange, purple or a pale white color on the inside and all be sweet potatoes.
I use sweet potatoes mainly two ways, shredded or mashed. You probably have seen recipes for using sweet potatoes like this on other blogs but I have to do this basic post before I can show you the other ways I use them, like my Nightshade Free Sweet Potato Chili. First things first!
This was about 5 lbs of sweet potatoes total for both the methods I’m showing here, two for the “rice” and 3 for the mash. It is SUPER cool that Costco has started selling the organic ones more than just during the holidays, I can still find them there now.
Sweet Potato Rice
The first is to simply peel them, cut into chunks and then shred them into rice-like pieces.
Steam them slightly, about 3 minutes. I have discovered the steaming helps them rehydrate better than just dehydrating them raw.
Don’t steam them more than a few minutes or you just get mashed potatoes instead of individual “grains”.
Your next step is to dehydrate them on trays in as close to a single layer as you can get. This is also where it is important not to over steam them or spreading will simply mush them.
This makes a great substitute for rice or white potatoes. You know they are done when the “rice” is dry through and brittle. You may need to break the clumps up as they dry.
Sweet Potato Mash
The second preparation is to make mashed sweet potatoes with the addition of coconut cream or milk, boosting the calories and fat content significantly. These can be eaten alone or with added ingredients like a meat, nuts or dried fruit.
Of course, adding the fat reduces the time that these can be left without refrigeration once dehydrated but this is only an issue if you need to store the potatoes a long time before you are going to need them on trail. If that is the case, simply prepare with just the potatoes and add coconut milk powder or oil once out on your adventure.
Alright, cover about 3 lbs of sweet potatoes cut into chunks with water and put on high to boil. Obviously, you could shred and steam ALL the sweet potatoes and then use some for the mashed version. If your steamer is big enough or you want to do them in batches, go for it. Just steam them longer.
When the potatoes start to boil, turn down the heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are soft when pierced with a fork.
Next, add the potatoes in the mixer (or food processor) and puree with a can of coconut milk or cream. The difference is that the coconut milk has more water than the coconut cream so the cream is preferable for dehydrating (read the back of the can for the highest % of coconut to water ratio). More fat calories, as well.
Blend until smooth. There may be some fibrous strings stuck on the blade, just toss those out. Adding maple syrup at this point ups calories, too. I added it to this batch because I knew it would only be for this dish but when I make large batches, I usually do not because I may use the mash in a savory meal, as well.
Spread onto the jelly trays in your dehydrator as thin as you can and dry with the fruit/veggie setting.
Drying time will vary by how thin you can get it. You can check on it and when partially dry, flip it over and let it dry on the other side. It will crack: break it up to hasten drying further.
When the pieces are completely dry, put them in your food processor to make as small as possible. A powder would be preferable but not necessary.
Want to add bacon? You can either buy fully cooked bacon pieces or cook up bacon yourself. I go this route because then I can choose bacon with less additives.
I put about 1/3 cup of dry sweet potato and the protein of choice in a ziploc bag for the trail. You may add more or less depending on your own needs. It’s pretty filling.
At camp, you can either add hot water to cover and let sit 5-10 minutes or cold water 1-2 hours before you want to eat. I usually eat a few Lara bars when I first get up and get going, soak the sweet potatoes and then eat 5-6 miles down the trail for second breakfast. Delicious!
Enjoy sweet potatoes with my Almond Ginger Chicken Satay the next time you go out into the wilderness.
If you are new to dehydrating or want more information, especially if you need your meals to last more than a month without refrigeration, please visit my Dehydrating 101 page to find out how to do it safely. And if you enjoyed this recipe, head over to my Hiking and Backpacking Paleo Index for over 60 tasty treats to take on your next outdoor adventure!
Sweet Potato Rice and Mash
The versatile sweet potato is a sturdy trail companion from breakfast to dinner, whether you enjoy it with creamy coconut milk or savory bacon!
Prep Time
25 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Total Time
40 minutes
Course: Breakfast, Main Dish
Cuisine: Autoimmune Protocol, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Nightshade Free, Nut free, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Whole Food
Servings: 3
Ingredients
- 3 pounds sweet potatoes peeled and cut into large chunks
- 1 19 oz can coconut cream
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Cover chunked sweet potatoes with water in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat and boil until soft.
- Puree the potatoes in the mixer or food processor with the coconut cream and maple syrup, if desired.
- Enjoy with bacon or nuts now or spread thinly on a dehydrator tray with liner and dry until crisp. About 12 hours or so depending on your dehydrator and how thin you spread it.
- Place dried pieces in the food processor and make into fine meal or powder.
- Add bacon to 1/3 cup dry sweet potato and place in a plastic ziploc for the trail.
- To prepare at camp, cover with hot water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. If eating cold, cover with water 1-2 hours before you want to eat.
- Notes
I guess you could even layer the sweet potato mash in a 9×13 pan with marshmallows and bake it at 350 degrees until they turn golden brown. That probably would be a BIG winner and make you SUPER popular for Thanksgiving. Especially if you throw in the BACON.
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