Description
Sweet Potato Croquettes are delicious, flavorful, savory balls of mashed sweet potatoes, cheese, and an assortment of seasoning. They have the perfect crisp on the outside, and soft and tender inside. The best bite-sized comfort food ever.
Ingredients
- 3 cups mashed sweet potatoes, chilled or at room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese or Parmesan cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup cooked ham or bacon, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika (or chili powder)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine mashed sweet potatoes, milk, cheese, ham, green onions, garlic powder, paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix well until smooth.
- To prepare mashed sweet potatoes from scratch, add peeled sweet potatoes in a large pot of boiling water, simmer until tender, about 25 minutes. Drain well and mash with a potato masher.
- Take 2 tablespoons of the sweet potato mixture at a time and use your hands to shape into balls like meatballs. Alternatively, you can use an ice cream scoop to shape into even balls.
- Add breadcrumbs to a large bowl or shallow plate. Dip the mashed potato balls in the breadcrumbs and gently press the crumbs to coat.
- Arrange the mashed potato balls evenly in a parchment lined half sheet baking pan and transfer into the freezer. Freeze for 15-20 minutes to firm up (and help the croquettes hold their shape while cooking).
- You can cook the croquettes on the stove, in the oven, or in the air fryer.
- Serve warm with mayonnaise or your favorite dipping sauce.
To deep fry the croquettes:
- Add oil to a cooking pot to cover at least 2-inches high. Heat the oil over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes until the oil is shimmering and sizzling hot.
- Deep fry the croquettes in batches (about 4-5 pieces each time) until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes. Turn the balls occasionally to get an even golden crust on all sides.
- Transfer the croquettes to a paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
To bake the croquettes:
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Place the croquettes evenly on a parchment paper lined half sheet baking pan. Spray with cooking oil spray to coat.
- Bake for 20 minutes until the crust becomes golden brown.
To air fry the croquettes:
Notes
Make ahead instructions: For easy party prep, you can prepare a whole batch of these sweet potato bites and store in the refrigerator or freezer for hours, days, or months ahead of time. Cook when you are ready to host your guests for fresh appys on call. Quickly fry them up or pop into the oven or air fryer. You could also cook them in advance, refrigerate, and reheat.
How to store: Allow the sweet potato croquettes cool to room temperature first (otherwise you’ll end up with soggy croquettes). Then, transfer the balls to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.
How to reheat: Reheat leftover cooked mashed sweet potato balls in a single layer in a 375F preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, or in the air fryer at 350F for 5-10 minutes until warm and crisp on the outside.
How to freeze: Freeze sweet potato croquettes before you cook them. Prepare them up to the point of cooking, then arrange the balls in a single layer on a large half sheet baking pan. Freeze until hard, about 1 hour. Then, transfer to a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can cook directly from frozen.
How to cook from frozen: Just cook in the same way that you would when following the recipe. Add a few extra minutes to the cook time as it will take slightly longer to cook until crisp and golden brown.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Appetizer
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American