Sweet Potato Pizza Snacks

You only need a few simple ingredients to make these totally DELECTABLE lil’ roasted sweet potato pizza snacks!

If you have kids or teens at home, let me nudge you to get them in the kitchen with you this weekend to make these little pizza snacks! They’re great for kids to make because they are easy & fun, but also pizza is very familiar to kids – so they’re more likely to want to try this version!

Sweet Potatoes and Yams are something we eat A LOT of at our house! It’s funny because about 10 years ago I didn’t care for them AT ALL.

Throughout my 30’s I began passionately learning about health & nutrition while working with a phenomenal fitness trainer. Sweet potatoes were becoming THE complex carbohydrate of choice! They were *always* on my meal plans – so that’s when I got creative and started roasting them, eating them frequently, and actually TRULY ENJOYING them.

Not a week goes by these days that I don’t buy and cook sweet potatoes or yams… they have become an absolute staple in our home.

This recipe is awesome if you’re trying to include sweet potatoes more often, but just need a tasty recipe – along with a little friendly nudge to try something different!

Complex Carbohydrates from the Sweet Potatoes are my favorite carbohydrates to eat because they leave me feeling really good and full of energy rather than the opposite feelings of bloat and tiredness many simple carbs seem to deliver.

Sweet potatoes are considered a “superfood” because of all the vitamins and minerals they contain. Just as an example, 1 sweet potato contains almost 400% of your daily vitamin A requirements! They also contain vitamins B, C, and D as well as a wide range of minerals.

They can help boost your immune system, protect your vision and reproductive health, and even help lower your risk of cancer.

Plus, they appear to help improve blood sugar control and cholesterol levels … and might even help keep fat cells from growing.

They are also delicious mashed or roasted like these pizza bites. Use them in soups, stews, chilis, or in any way you would use other potatoes.

REFERENCE:

• WebMD 
• Healthline

Be sure to use YOUR favorite marinara sauce or good quality crushed tomatoes, because that’s where these get a lot of their flavor!

When shopping for store-bought sauce:

I like to make sure the marinara has no added sugar (tomatoes naturally contain sugar, but there shouldn’t be sugar on the ingredients list.)

A good marinara sauce contains just a few simple ingredients such as tomatoes, garlic, and herbs. Try it with Rachel’s Homemade Marinara Sauce.

8 servings

Ingredients:

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 2 Tbsps olive oil or avocado oil
• sea salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 cups marinara or pizza sauce
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup thinly sliced nitrate-free pepperoni
• 1/3 cup sliced pitted black olives

Optional:

• minced fresh herbs such as basil or parsley to garnish

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees f. and line 2 large sheet pans with parchment paper.

Slice your sweet potatoes into 1/4″ thick rounds as shown.

Divide your potato slices evenly among your 2 sheet pans.

Very lightly drizzle with oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub each slice on both sides and toss to get them all seasoned, then arrange them in a single layer with space between each so they can crisp up.

Roast for 8 minutes then flip over and roast for another 6 minutes, or just until fork-tender and golden-crisp outer layer.

Carefully remove from the oven and top your sweet potato slices with a spoonful of marinara or pizza sauce as shown, some shredded mozzarella, a pepperoni or two, and olives.

Return tray back into your oven and bake for 3-4 minutes, or just until they’re hot and the cheese is nice and melty.

Sprinkle with fresh chopped basil if desired.

Enjoy while hot!

Rachel

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