Sweet potato croquettes are a wonderful way to add sweet potatoes to your dinner table. These croquettes are made from mashed sweet potatoes and spices. You can bake them or deep-fry them. They will disappear from your table instantly. In this recipe, I’ll show you how to deep-fry and how to bake them. You decide what works best for you. The main photo, the croquettes are baked.

History

Sweet potato croquettes combine an American ingredient with a French culinary technique: shaping a soft filling, coating it with breadcrumbs, and frying it until crisp. Sweet potatoes originated in Central and South America, giving the dish an ingredient history much older than its European name. The word “croquette” comes from the French verb “croquer,” meaning “to crunch,” a reference to the fried exterior. Croquettes developed within French cooking and subsequently spread internationally. Croquette fillings ranging from meat and fish to vegetables and potatoes. In the 1890s some New England cookbooks included a recipe for forming mashed sweet potatoes into balls, dipping in egg and deep-frying them in oil. Rather than representing a single documented invention, sweet potato croquettes reflect the meeting of American produce, French terminology, and adaptable household cooking traditions.

To Boil or to Bake?

You can boil the sweet potatoes before mashing, however, you will have to add a little flour. I prefer baking the sweet potatoes first. This retains more of the sweet potato flavor.

Chill or not?

If you decide to chill the sweet potato mix before forming patties you may find it easier to form. The mixture will be less likely to stick to your hands. I had no problem with a room temperature mixture, forming patties.

Spices and other additives:

These croquettes are overall sweet. You may add cooked bacon or ham. This adds a little savory to these treats. Instead of cinnamon, you can add chili powder and/or cayenne pepper for a little kick. You can adapt these little patties of deliciousness to your family’s tastes.