Cooking With Beer: A Rockin' Recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Smoked Bacon and Beer

The Food Blogga Getting Guys To Eat Vegetables Algorithm:
1. Don't tell them they're vegetables.
2. If #1 fails, then bread it and fry it.
3. If #2 fails, then add bacon.
4. If #3 fails, then add bacon and beer.
5. If #4 fails, then, well, #4 never fails, so don't worry about it.

I created this recipe for Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Smoked Bacon and Beer in honor of San Diego Beer Week and used one of my favorite local San Diego beers called Arrogant Bastard Ale. (Is that the best beer name ever?) This dish rocks. It's sweet, salty, smoky, and tangy. It's great with beer buddies like pork and beef and goes really well with chicken sandwiches and salmon burgers.

So give it a try, and let me know how things work out for 'ya.



For more about San Diego Beer Week and cooking with beer, check out my last post, which includes a recipe for Dill and Beer Quick Bread, and my SDNN piece "Eight Great Events Brewing at San Diego Beer Week."

Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Maple Smoked Bacon and Beer
Serves 4 or 2 hungry guys
Print recipe only here.

2 large orange-fleshed sweet potatoes or Garnet yams
olive oil to brush on the flesh
6 strips maple smoked bacon
1 tablespoon butter
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
2/3 cup beer, preferably dark ale
2 tablespoons maple syrup
freshly ground black pepper


1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil, for easy clean up. Wash potatoes and pat dry. Brush flesh with a little bit of olive oil. Place flesh side down on the prepared baking sheet. Cook for 40-50 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork.

2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add bacon. Cook, turning frequently, until browned and crisp, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-toweled lined plate to drain. Cool completely. Chop finely, reserving one slice for garnish.

3. Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes. Scoop out the flesh and set aside.

4. In a large skillet over medium-low heat, melt 1 tablespoon butter. Add sliced onions and brown sugar; stir occasionally, until the onions caramelize and turn a deep golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Add beer and cook 2 minutes. Add maple syrup. Stir well and cook 3-4 minutes. Add roasted potatoes and bacon to skillet. Stir well. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with reserved bacon.

Here are more guy-friendly vegetable recipes from Food Blogga: 
Roasted Asparagus with Breadcrumbs and Parmesan 
Mediterranean Jacket Potatoes
Caramelized Plantains with Honey and Lime
Roasted Root Vegetables with Maple Sage Glaze
String Beans with Prosciutto, Pine Nuts, and Meyer Lemon

Here are more tasty sweet potato recipes:
Smoked Chile Scalloped Sweet Potatoes recipe at One For The Table
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Lime Syrup and Chives recipe at Rookie Cookie
Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Red Onion recipe at The Passionate Cook
Sweet Potato Pancakes at Serious Eats

Celebrating San Diego Beer Week by Cooking with Beer!

It's a great week to be in San Diego. Yesterday the Chargers beat the Giants in dramatic fashion; today is going to be sunny and 72; and all week long we're celebrating our first-ever San Diego Beer Week, which runs from Friday, November 6th through Sunday, November 15th.

You know San Diego for its pristine beaches and delicious fish tacos, but did you know we were recently named the country's top beer city, beating out the perennial favorite, Portland, OR? Yup. There are an amazing 33 San Diego breweries creating hand-crafted beers, and that's not including all the folks who brew their own at home.

So to celebrate our thriving craft beer community, there will be over 200 beer-centric events taking place across the county. From beer and chocolate pairings to meet-the-brewer events, there's something for everyone. So whether you live in San Diego or are just visiting between now and the 15th, check out San Diego Beer Week's schedule of events. You won't be disappointed.

As a San Diegan and a beer lover, I want to do my part. So this week I'll be sharing some recipes that feature beer. It won't be easy for me (or Jeff), but the blog must come first.



Today's recipe for Dill and Beer Quick Bread is adapted from an original posted on NPR's Kitchen Window, by personal chef and friend, Kevin Weeks, of the blog Seriously Good. Kevin also co-founded the blog A Year in Bread, so it's safe to say he knows a thing or two about making good bread. And trust me, this bread is seriously good and seriously easy. It tastes like rye bread but with more complexity thanks to the dill and beer. If you'd like less rye flavor and more dill, then just reduce the amount of caraway seeds and increase the dill. I indicated my slight adaptations in parentheses. As Kevin says, this bread is terrific for sopping up juices in stews, but it's also wonderful simply toasted with a smear of butter. Oh, and Jeff wants me to tell you that it makes one "kick-ass good breakfast sandwich" with eggs, cheddar, and bacon. So, there you have it.

Dill and Beer Quick Bread
Makes 1 loaf
Print recipe only here.

3 cups all-purpose flour (I used half ap and half whole wheat)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar (my addition)
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
1/4 cup freshly chopped dill
1 (12 ounce) bottle porter beer

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cook an 8X4 loaf pan with cooking spray.

2. In a large bowl stir together all ingredients and spoon into the pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Here are more Food Blogga recipes that taste great with a cold beer: 
Turkey Burger with Apples, Gruyere, and Sage Mayo
Pork Tenderloin Sandwich
Spinach, Nutmeg, and Ricotta Pie
Fennel Sausage and Rapini Pizza

Here are more great beer bread recipes to try: 
Beyond Easy Dill and Cheddar Beer Bread recipe at Farmgirl Fare
Homemade Bubby Beer Bread recipe at Zesty Cook
Finnish Rye Beer Bread recipe at Green Gourmet Giraffe
Guinness Bread with Molasses recipe from Hank Shaw posted at Simply Recipes