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Sweet potatoes can vary greatly in size and shape, which will affect their roasting time. Insofar as possible, buy potatoes that are the same size and shape.
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Serves 4-16 people
Yeah, I know that “4-16” is a wide spread. A quarter-pound per person would be a small-but-adequate serving, but I’d be more inclined to plan on ½-pound per person, keeping in mind that a sweet-potato lover could easily eat close to a full pound. I don’t mind having leftovers, so I’m inclined to go with the full pound per person.
Ingredients
4 lbs sweet potatoes Olive oil 2 tsp butter
Directions
1. Prep the sweet potatoes: scrub them, if necessary, then jab them all over with a fork. Next, rub each one lightly with oil: pour a little bit of oil into the palm of your hand, place a potato on top, then “massage” the potato with both hands, rolling it all around, to distribute the oil all over the potato. Repeat if necessary. Wrap each potato in foil, and then wrap it a second time in another layer of foil. 2. Prep the grill. Place the sweet potatoes on the upper rack. Light the charcoal. After 15 minutes, spread the coals, position the grate close to the coals, and close the lid. Every 20 minutes, add a handful of coals. After 30 minutes, flip the potatoes. Close the lid when you’re done, and continue roasting the potatoes for another 30 minutes. When they’re done, they’ll feel soft and you’ll be able to easily pierce them with a fork. (You can feel and pierce them right through the foil.) 3. Once the potatoes are done, move them to a “keep warm” area of the grill. When you’re ready to serve them, unwrap the potatoes, slice them into ½-inch-thick slices, and drop about ½ tsp butter onto each slice. If needed or desired, brush the skins with butter to give them a glossy look and keep them soft. Season them with salt. You can also sprinkle them with a little bit of brown sugar. They don’t need sugar (although it doesn’t hurt), but it looks nice. Of course you can do this indoors, in your oven. Set it to 400ºF and give them 45 minutes.
Leftovers
I’s so easy to make (skins-on or off) mashed potatoes out of leftover baked sweet potatoes, white potatoes, or a mixture of the two. They’re absolutely as appealing and comforting as boiled mashed. Measure the weight of your potatoes and adjust this recipe’s ingredient amounts accordingly. If you use potatoes that were roasted in a charcoal BBQ, your mashed will have a tiny bit of that flavor, way in the background. It’s fantastic! Gives them the feeling of something rustic.
Servings: for every 1 lb of potatoes, you’ll produce about 3 side servings of mashed
Ingredients
1 lb leftover baked potatoes and/or sweet potatoes 1½ tspsalt, plus more to taste ¼ cup milk, nuked until warm but not hot ¼ cup cream, nuked until warm but not hot 2 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature Freshly ground black pepper, to taste Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste
Directions
Peel the potatoes, if desired, or leave the skins on. Cut them into chunks. Place in a covered microwavable container and nuke on full power until quite hot. Add remaining ingredients. Mash with a masher and/or stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Serve immediately. 
Grilled Sweet Potatoes
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Notes:
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