Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes and Cranberries

Ingredients

• 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup Grade A maple syrup
• 1 ½ cups fresh cranberries
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, or to taste
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme

Step 1

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). While that’s warming up, put the whole sweet potatoes into a large pot, cover them with salted water, and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat and let them simmer gently until they’re tender when poked with a fork—this usually takes about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool enough to handle.

Step 2

Pour the maple syrup and brown sugar into a small saucepan and heat it until it starts bubbling. Turn the heat down and let it simmer until the mixture thickens and reduces by about half. Toss in the cranberries and bring it back to a boil, cooking until the berries start to pop. Stir in the butter and dried thyme, then take the pan off the heat.

Step 3

Slice the cooled sweet potatoes into roughly 1-inch rounds. Arrange them standing up on their sides in an 8x12-inch baking dish, leaning them against each other like a row of fallen dominoes. Give the syrup mixture a quick stir and pour it evenly over the potatoes, trying to spread the cranberries around as well.

Step 4

Pop the dish into the oven and bake for about 40 minutes, or until the cranberries on top start to caramelize and get a bit bubbly. When it’s done, pull it out and let it sit for a few minutes before serving. For a fresh touch, garnish each plate with a sprig of thyme.