Cuban-Style Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake

Jeff the Chef
"Cuban-Style Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake," from Make It Like a Man!

This Cuban-style sweet potato and sausage bake is attractive, super-tasty, filling, and packed with goodness.

What you need to serve 4-6:

10 oz. of sausage (see note), sliced into ½-inch rounds
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 Tbs olive oil, plus more for the potatoes
1 ripe plantain, peeled and sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
1 red bell pepper, in large dice
1 yellow bell pepper, in large dice
1 garlic clove, minced
½ tsp kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 large kale leaves, stripped of stems and ripped into bite-sized pieces
1 Tbs fresh lime juice (from ½ of a lime)
1½ Tbs roughly chopped, flat-leaf parsley

How to do it:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F.  
  2. Place the sausage into a large roasting pan, and place the pan in the pre-heated oven for five minutes to give the sausages a head start. Meanwhile, prep the potatoes.
  3. To prep the potatoes, massage them with a dab of oil (or peel them and skip the oil). Cut them into small wedges.
  4. Once the sausage emerges from the oven, add the potatoes, plantain, and both peppers to the pan. Sprinkle garlic and then olive oil over all. Season with salt and pepper. Toss thoroughly, to ensure that everything is coated.
  5. Noting the kale addition that follows, bake until potatoes are tender, but still offer some resistance, and the sausages are lightly browned, about 40 minutes, tossing two or three times during the bake.
  6. Add the kale during the final 15 minutes of the bake; it should wind up somewhat crispy with some browning on the edges.
  7. Let the dish cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Then, sprinkle lime juice and parsley over it. Check seasoning.
  8. Serve warm or at room temperature.
"Cuban-Style Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake," from Make It Like a Man!

Notes:

I’m talking about sausage(s) in casings, not bulk sausage. Choose a sausage that you like, and one that will go with the rest of the dish. I chose a chicken sausage with green pepper and onion. It provided a beautiful contrast with the rest of the dish. But the sky’s the limit in terms of interesting sausage possibilities.

You could throw so many different vegetables into this dish. My husband is particularly fond of green beans; if you look carefully, you can see that I tossed some into the batch that I shot for this post. They’re perfectly fine in there shape-, taste-, and texture-wise, but I don’t think they contribute enough to the overall color of the dish – that’s why I didn’t include them in the ingredient list.

This dish is a cinch to put throw together. You could do it on a whim if it weren’t for the plantains. You can’t count on finding ripe ones in the grocery store. You may have to buy one that isn’t ripe, and allow it the time it needs to ripen on your countertop. Sometimes, the plantains at the grocery store are so green, that they don’t seem as if they are ever going to ripen at all … it might take more than a week. You could always omit them. Or, you could shop at a Latino grocery. It’s the most likely place to find a fully ripe plantain (as well as excellent produce in general, and at great prices).

The plantains pictured below are perfect for cooking. If the skin goes completely black, they may be too soft for cooking at that point, but they’d be good for eating out of hand. More yellow than this, and you’d probably find it tough and starchy.

"Cuban-Style Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake," from Make It Like a Man! Plantains

If after tasting, you think one tablespoon of lime juice isn’t enough, make any further additions in tiny increments. Lime juice has a way of suddenly jumping the shark on you.

I enjoy this dish as an entrée. If you wanted to make it as a side dish, omit the sausage if it gets in the way of the rest of your menu.

"Cuban-Style Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake," from Make It Like a Man!
Cuban-Style Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake

Credit for images on this page: Make It Like a Man! Thank you, Kesor. This content was not solicited by anyone, nor was it written in exchange for anything. This post was inspired by The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The Original Classics 2000, pg. 361; and Afro Vitality Eats.

Keep up with us on Bloglovin’

Large Blog Image

Pretzel Orange Crunch
Pumpkin and Chocolate-Espresso Waffles

36 thoughts on “Cuban-Style Sweet Potato and Sausage Bake”

  2. Wow, those plantains have a most unusual blue color- I’ve only seen green or yellow ones! I’ve been travelling recently in South America where plantains are very popular. Love your recipe and will be bookmarking this for sure!

    Reply

    • Thank you so much! They were not so blue, they were black. That’s how the pictures came out, though, and I couldn’t seem to correct it.

      Reply

  4. The addition of the plantain in this one is much appreciated! I love plantains, but I rarely cook with them. I definitely need to correct that. Also, I love massaging my taters with oil, too. Glad I’m not the only one.
    David @ Spiced recently posted…Chocolate Chip Muffins

    Reply

    • You know what? I’ve never had a Jerusalem artichoke. But this is a super versatile dish.

      Reply

  8. What a great fall dish. You guys definitely have more sausage types than we do here although I did recently source a fabulous selection of fresh Mexican chorizo so I will bookmark this tasty dish for ehen I can get downtown again!
    Eva Taylor recently posted…Roasted Red Pepper Dip

    Reply

    • In all of Toronto there’s no sausage shop? I guess you make up for that by having Uncle Tetzu.

      Reply

  10. I haven’t had much experience cooking Cuban food, but I’ve loved it every time I’ve eaten it. And when plantains are in the mix, I especially love it! I love the sound of this whole dish and the colors are so pretty together. 🙂 ~Valentina

    Reply

  11. I have been wanting to make this for couple of weeks before but I have not found the right recipe. After trying this my whole family fell in love. I’m so glad i made it and i can really rely on site’s recipes thanks 🙂

    Reply

  14. I recently moved to Miami and my next door neighbor is Cuban. I’ve been learning alot about Cuban cooking, but I have to say your recipe looks the best by far. I love the combination of the sweet potatoes, kales, and plantains with the lime juice! I’m sure this tasted amazing

    Reply

  17. Jeff, I must admit that I have never tried to prepare a Cuban recipe nor have I cooked with plantains – this looks very delicious to me and I am tempted to give it a try. Lots of different colors and flavors and it’s always nice to try new recipes – thanks for the wonderful inspiration and many helpful tips.
    Andrea recently posted…Red Beet Hummus & Comfort Food

    Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*
*
Website

CommentLuv badge