Kimchi Butter Can Totally Revolutionize Roasted Sweet Potatoes

You may already know how kimchi can transform roasted sweet potatoes into a beloved Korean snack food bursting with mind-blowing flavor, but this sweet-and-spicy combo is revolutionized even further when paired with fat (the ultimate flavor-enhancer) in the form of rich, creamy kimchi butter. It's got all the tongue-tantalizing pow of kimchi, without the fiber to fight through. That's because spicy kimchi delivers all those tangy, spicy, umami flavors wrapped in the warm, safe arms of a simple compound butter, set for slathering on a deeply sweet and earthy baked sweet potato. Whether served as a snack or a side dish, this unexpected duo is truly a taste sensation fierce enough to slay even the hangriest of late-night cravings.

Not only does it pack a wallop on the flavor front, but the dish also boasts a number of nutritional benefits, as both sweet potatoes and kimchi are nutrient-dense foods that are high in fiber, antioxidants, and beneficial prebiotics. Sweet potatoes are also high in beta-carotene, while kimchi is chock full of probiotics, making this taste-tempting side a superfood for gut health and your immune system. 

The only thing better than the spicy-sweet kick and nutrition-packed punch this dish delivers is how simple it is to make. Just preheat your oven and set out a stick of butter to soften at room temperature (one stick can take on 4 potatoes). While your butter softens, you'll want to prep your 'taters: giving them a quick wash, poking them on all sides with a fork, and wrapping them in foil before loading them into an oven set to bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 to 60 minutes. (Unless you cut your cooking time in half with this simple trick). While this works well on just about any kind of sweet potato (and any other potato variety), it's especially tasty on Korean sweet potatoes aka goguma, which are yellow in color and have a faintly chestnut taste.

While the potatoes cook, place your butter in a blender or food processor with ½ cup of kimchi, a teaspoon of kimchi juice, salt, and sesame oil, and blend until smooth. Then, spoon out the butter onto a piece of parchment paper and wrap the paper around it, rolling to create a log of compound butter, and place it in the refrigerator to set.

Once the potatoes are done, slice them in half and slather on the kimchi butter. Want it even faster? Microwave that potato and grab a bottle of spicy kimchi sauce (Wildbrine and Lucky Foods both make some), and fast-track that late-night snack.