Aside from a glorious plate of creamy, delicious macaroni and cheese, I find sweet potatoes to be the most comforting food of all.

Which is interesting because as a child, I didn’t like them at all. I even avoided them at Thanksgiving. My adult appreciation of sweet potatoes is yet another reason why I believe being a grown-up is so much better than being a kid (along with being able to do whatever you want, of course).

And this is my absolute favorite way to eat a sweet potato. Sliced, simply seasoned, roasted. Dipped in a tangy, creamy blend of sour cream, mayo and yogurt bursting with the flavors of lime, cilantro and garlic.

I’ve been making versions of this snack for years and although using three creamy substances as the base of the dip may seem a bit excessive, I’m convinced it’s the combination that creates the best flavor. Use just two? Good. All of the above? Great.

Since I’m making my own yogurt these days, I start with a half-cup container of plain yogurt and strain it to make it thicker. If you pick up Greek yogurt, you can skip this step. There are a couple of ways I like to do this.

First, take 2 layers of cheesecloth and lay it on a plate. Dump the yogurt in the middle.

Pull the corners of the cheesecloth up and tie around a wooden spoon.

Lay the spoon across a bowl so the yogurt is suspended above the bottom of the vessel.

Alternatively, take the package and let the corners of the cheesecloth hang over the edge of a mason jar. Screw the lid on the top of the jar, holding the yogurt up so the liquid can drain out below.

Let the yogurt drain for an hour or two in the fridge, until it’s thick. Discard the liquid that drips into the bottom of the bowl or jar.

While you strain the yogurt, peel and cut the sweet potato into 1/4 inch slices.

Toss in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place the slices on a parchment-lined sheet pan in a single layer and roast in a 400 degree oven until browning on the edges and in spots, about 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.

If I’m home alone, I’ll eat just this for dinner. And love every bite.

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Cilantro-Lime Aioli

This recipe makes about 3/4 cup of sauce, enough for slices of 2 medium-large sweet potatoes to be generously dunked.

Use this:

2 tbsp mayonnaise

3 tbsp sour cream

1/3 cup strained plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

zest and juice of 1/2 a lime

1 large clove of garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Do this:

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Serve with sweet potato slices, use as a topping for quesadillas, tacos, baked potatoes…endless possibilities here, folks.

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