Ron’s Oven-Roasted Yams

This is the single best yam recipe I’ve ever tasted. This super-great dish uses only three ingredients: Orange-fleshed yams, olive oil, and seasoning salt. One large yam yields enough for two adults. 

Even those not partial to yams will instantly become converts. The natural sugar in the yams caramelizes under the high temperature at which they bake. Don’t worry if a few pieces char ... They’ll taste even better!  

Ron’s Oven-Roasted Yams:

1 large yam, peeled and diced 3/4-in. (1.9 cm)   

1/4 c. (60 mL) olive oil

2 tbsp. (30 mL) Cajun seasoning or seasoning salt

Preheat oven’s convect setting to 400 deg. F.  on oven’s convection setting. Place prepared yams in medium bowl (see Note). Combine olive oil and Cajun seasoning or seasoning salt, pouring over yams and stirring until diced yams are evenly coated.

Use baking sheet with no parchment paper. Bake, uncovered, 50 min., flipping two or three times as yams roast. Omitting the parchment paper allows the yam to caramelize, rather than sweat and steam. Serves 2.

Flavor Note: Some like it hot! You can always add a shake of chili powder, another of onion powder, and another of garlic powder. But the recipe above is how Ron and I like it. 

History Note: In days gone by, orange-fleshed yams and yellow-fleshed sweet potatoes were considered distinctly different.  Today, everything seems to be called a sweet potato. Don’t use the yellow-fleshed kind for this recipe.