Sweet Potato Rolls - Gluten Free

Let's get real.  Although I love sweets, I don't usually make them; because I will eat them all. by. myself.  I'm one of those women who finds a mis-shapen candy bar in my purse and looks around to see if I'm being watched....then with joy in my heart eats it!  (Don't act like you have not done the same!)  So, on occasion when I am making a pork tenderloin or another meat and have a "sweet tooth" I will make this recipe to accompany the protein. 

I have a handy little mandolin ...

Not a musical instrument, but a mandolin kitchen tool that creates even, beautiful, slices! 

It is almost imperative to have one if you make this recipe because, otherwise it would be very difficult to slice the sweet potatoes evenly lengthwise.  But if you do not have one, it could be made as a layered dish.  (grease dish, layer 1/2 sweet potatoes, top with apples and nuts, top with remaining potatoes, drizzle with brown sugar, cover and bake as directed below)

 Here is what you will need:  

3 large sweet potatoes sliced to 1/4 inch thickness, two sweet apples sliced, 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, 4 Tablespoons of butter mixed with 1 cup packed brown sugar

Put on a pot of water to boil and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Peel potatoes, and slice with your mandolin to 1/4 inch, and when complete you want to drop them into boiling water until they are JUST tender.  You want to be able to roll them but not have them so done that they don't hold together.  I'd like to suggest a certain amount of time, but there are a great deal of factors which keep me from doing so. Just watch them closely...

After boiling, remove and place on a wax paper to cool. Keep your water for the apples...

 

I went ahead and used the mandolin on my apples as well. (same setting)  You want to boil them until quite tender.  While they are boiling, chop your walnuts into smaller pieces than seen in the bag above.

Once your apples are softened, remove them from the water and cut up into bite sized pieces and place in a bowl with the walnuts.  Melt butter and combine with sugar.  Pour 1/2 of the mixture in the apples and walnuts.  Take one spoonful at a time and place inside the sweet potato strip and roll, placing the seam side down in a greased pan. When complete, place any remaining "stuffing" on top with the remainder of the sugar mixture.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.  

As you can see, I added some broccoli to my pan.  (coated with olive oil, and seasoned to taste with some favorite spices) 

 

 I served this with a grilled pork tenderloin and it was fabulous! 

And I did not have to rummage through my purse for a sad candy bar...