Roasting sweet potatoes or potatoes/root veg in general help

Kimia

So all, I got myself some nice pre cut sweet potatoes tonight for dinner. Popped them in the oven in an oven dish and poured some oil and sea salt over em. They just stuck to the pan and when I tried to dislodge them, they fell apart.

This happens me ALL the time, with sweet potatoes, regular potatoes and root veg. Tbh at this point I don't even bother anymore, but I thought sweet potatoes would be ok as it was my first time roasting them.

What am I doing wrong? Again, I'm using oil, salt, a hot oven and an oven dish and they just stick every single time.

psycho-hope

i find if i need more oil then i think and giving the tray a shake half way thru stops them sticking too much

Faith

I'd mix them around every 10 minutes or so if that's happening. You might need a bit more oil too.

olaola

If they're breaking up, then they must be overcooked! You don't really need that much oil. Just keep moving them as Faith said to stop them from sticking (or use one of those non-stick mats)

Lornen

I roast sweet potatoes nearly every night for my dinner so I can give you a few pointers.

Cut your sweet potatoes into small cubes, lay them out flat in a single layer on a baking tray lined with tinfoil.
Shake some smoked paprika, garlic powder and cayenne pepper over the top.
Then drizzle a very small amount of olive oil over the potatoes. The worst thing you can do is saturate the potatoes in oil, so mix through until everything is coated.

Now here's the trick. Pick up a bag of semolina and once the potatoes are seasoned, sprinkle a good bit of semolina over them. Then stick them in the oven at about 180-200 and cook for 20 minutes or until done. Perfect little crunchy bites in no time!

Semolina is my secret weapon though.. Works a treat