Who knew there are so many ways to enjoy sweet potatoes—don't we always just think of the baked sweet potatoes topped with mini marshmallows that shows up at Thanksgiving dinner?

But thanks to many creative cooks, we can go from enchiladas to pasta to pie, and more. Not only is this autumn powerfood versatile (they work beautifully as appetizers, side dishes, or even a main course), they are far more nutritious than white potatoes because each dish delivers an abundance of beta-carotene, Vitamins B6 and D, Iron, and Magnesium.

So thanks to one of my favorite sites, Care2, here are 6 favorite ways to eat this underground gem (plus a seventh for good measure).

1. First up, sweet potato patties—perfect for an appetizer, side dish or gluten-free entrée. Fragrant little spiced patties, sort of like Indian latkes! Cumin, onion, cilantro and chili pepper make them memorable and truly yummy. (click for recipe)



2. A flavorful and healthy alternative to the standard, sweet potato fries are antioxidant rich and have a lower glycemic index than white potatoes. Try them spicy, sweet, or savory and with various dipping sauces suggested in the following recipe.
   
   Peel the amount of potatoes you want to serve, cut into wedges or strips, and place in a plastic bag. Sprinkle extra virgin olive oil over them along with your choice of herbs or spices. Sweet potatoes do well with simply salt and pepper or cinnamon and sugar, depending if you want a savory or sweet side dish. Then place potatoes on a lightly oiled baking sheet and place in a preheated oven (425 degrees) and bake on one side for 20 minutes, then turn fries and bake 20 more minutes.



3. Sweet Potato Cheesecake—do I need to say more? Pair this healthy veggie with ginger-pecan crust and you have an incredible dessert for the fanciest dinner party or traditional Thanksgiving feast. (click for recipe)



4. This sweet potato soup is a warm, Asian-inspired soup. You can make it vegan by swapping out the sour cream for soy plain yogurt. (click for recipe)



5. And how about a black bean and sweet potato chili? This hearty and nourishing chili is the perfect meal to serve when cold weather hits. As it says on the Care2 site, "Immune-boosting garlic, fiber-rich black beans and beta-carotene sweet potatoes make this dish an all-star healthy option." This is a make-to-your-taste recipe; all you need are the right ingredients and then start combining according to what you want it to taste like (so you taste as you go).
   
   In a large pan, combine three cans of black beans, a can of white beans, a 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, some chopped red bell pepper and onion, some minced garlic, and cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper to taste. Add one peeled and cube sweet potato. Bring contents to a simmer and continue cooking until sweet potato cubes are soft. Serve immediately with dollops of sour cream if desired.



6. It stands to reason that if we can make fries or patties out of sweet potatoes, we can also make hash browns! All you need to do is coarsely grate some sweet potatoes, chop some onion, mince some garlic, add dashes of salt and pepper, mix well and fry it all up in extra virgin olive oil in a heavy skillet. The cooking process takes about 15 or 20 minutes. As you see in the photo, hash brown patties were this cook's approach to the idea. Sounds delicious—let's try it.



7. And of course, there's always sweet potato pie—our grandmas had this one mastered and recipes abound for it. I also like include sweet potato chunks in my hamburger soup and "leftovers beef stew." When I can get them on sale, I'll bake lots, puree them all, and scoop the puree into my ice cube trays and freeze it for use in other recipes later on.

The great thing about the sweet potato is what a super versatile vegetable it is, and SO easy to experiment with. We're really only limited by our imagination, so let's branch out from that mini-marshmallow topped side dish we always see at holiday time and see what we can come up with!

Sweet Potato Patties

With a lower glycemic index, sweet potatoes are a great choice over white potatoes, and these delicious and easy to make patties are a perfect substitute when wanting a healthy alternative to standard potatoes.

Yield: 12 patties

Serving size: 7
Calories per serving: 30

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon , whole cumin seeds
4 eggs
5 cups grated sweet potatoes
1 cup grated onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 teaspoons diced fresh red chili or 1 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper


Directions:

In a small frying pan, toast the cumin seeds until just brown. In a medium mixing bowl, whip the eggs, then mix in remaining ingredients, including the toasted cumin seeds. Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet and oil lightly. Drop batter by spoonsful into the pan and cook slowly on each side until cakes are very golden, about 25 minutes. Keep warm under a tea towel while cooking the remaining cakes.

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Sweet Potato Cheesecake

Delicious and unique--serve this at your next holiday gathering and plan on rave reviews!

Yield: 1 8 or 9-inch cake

Serving size: 10
Calories per serving: 266

Ingredients:
CRUST:
1 1/2 cups gingersnaps cookie crumbs
1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/4 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons melted butter
FILLING:
9 ounces cream cheese softened
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup date sugar , (brown sugar may be substituted)
1 3/4 cups cooked sweet potatoes mashed
2 large eggs beaten
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
TOPPING:
1 cup sour cream room temperature
1 cup Greek yogurt room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar (or sweetener of your choice)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl mix gingersnap crumbs, pecans, ginger and butter until combined. Press mixture with your fingers into the bottom and 1 inch up the side of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake for 6 minutes or until set—do not let it brown. Remove and let cool.
Beat cream cheese until smooth and add maple syrup and date sugar. Add remaining filling ingredients and beat well until combined. Pour into crust and bake for 55 minutes, or until set.
Stir together topping ingredients and spread over warm cheesecake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes until topping is just set. Cool on a wire rack.. Remove springform ring and chill at least several hours, or overnight.

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Sweet Potato Soup

Hearty and tasty--a perfect soup for a brisk fall evening meal.

Serving size: 6
Calories per serving: 239

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
6 cups good quality vegetable stock
4 medium sweet potatoes peeled and chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup light sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons , grated limes zest
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped green onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
fresh cilantro for garnish



Directions:

In a large heavy-bottomed soup pot, heat the oil and saute ginger and garlic for 2 minutes or so, until tender. Add vegetable stock and sweet potato and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer around 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potato is tender.
Add coconut milk, sour cream, lime zest, and lime juice and heat thoroughly but do not boil. Remove soup from heat and add green onions and chopped cilantro. Serve hot, garnished with optional cilantro sprigs, if desired.

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