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cabbage is a leaf because it is in the leave category and shares common characteristics that other leaves have. this is a fried cabbage recipe.

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This dish was always a favorite at Mammaw's house. Cabbage is fried with onion and bacon in this simple quick side dish. Terrific with cornbread.

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Rhubarb is in the stem category because it has a long stem like celery. this is a recipe of rhubarb pie

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It doesn't take much to make rhubarb sing: some sugar, a bit of flour, and a pat or two of butter. When this lovely double-crust pie emerges from the oven, it's golden outside and sweet and luscious inside. It's especially nice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

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corn is a seed because of the size and the texture. this is a recipe for corn bread

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If you like sweet cornbread, this is the recipe for you! My mom made this for me as a child, and now it's my family's favorite.

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Sweet potatoes are roots because the way they are grown and how they form underground. this is a recipe for baled sweet potatoes.

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Baked sweet potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes. They're no-fuss, easy to bake and packed with vitamins and nutrients. To serve, just dollop with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. A little dash of cinnamon is also delicious.

You can easily turn a baked sweet potato into a full meal by stuffing it with shredded chicken, ground beef and a variety of other vegetables. My BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potato recipe is one of my favorites.

Baked Sweet Potato

A baked sweet potato is the perfect fall and winter recipe when the weather's cold outside. It's warm, filling, nourishing and couldn't be easier to make.

Sweet potatoes are a rich source of fiber (making them great for digestion) and loaded with iron, calcium, vitamins B and C and beta-carotene, an antioxidant which gives the potato its vibrant orange color.

What to serve with baked sweet potatoes? I think they're a great accompaniment to beef brisket, roasted balsamic chicken, honey mustard chicken and barbecue ribs.

What's the Difference Between a Sweet Potato and a Yam

Sweet potatoes and yams are both root vegetables, but they're actually quite different. To make matters confusing, most yams sold in supermarkets in the US are actually sweet potatoes, just marketed under the wrong name.

Yams tend to have brown-ish, rougher skin and lighter flesh. They're also starchier and dryer when cooked.

Sweet potatoes have more tapered ends, redish-orange skin and vibrant orange flesh - though they can come in a variety of colors from white to orange to purple. Sweet potatoes are also sweeter (hence their name) when they're cooked.

The take-away: if what you've bought looks like these photos, odds are it's a variety of sweet potato even though it may have been called a yam in the store.

How to Bake Sweet Potatoes - 3 steps

Wash the Sweet Potato

While sweet potatoes have been given a rinse before arriving at the supermarket, they're definitely not clean. To ensure you don't end up with dirt and debris in your meal, make sure to give them a good scrub. I use this scrub brush and some running water to give my sweet potatoes a good wash. Then I blot them dry with a paper towel.

Poke the Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes build up heat and steam while cooking. To prevent the sweet potato from bursting it's necessary to give it a few pokes to ensure this air can escape and it cooks evenly. You can poke the sweet potato 4-5 times with a fork or sharp knife.

Bake the Sweet Potato

Lay the sweet potato on a baking tray and cook for approximately one hour at 400 degrees fahrenheit. Because sweet potatoes are not always uniform in shape and size, you may need to cook them a little bit less or a little bit longer, depending on size. You can tell if your sweet potato is cooked through if it pierces easily with a knife.

A Few Tips for Baked Sweet Potato

Baked sweet potatoes can let out a little juice when baked. This can start to caramelize on your baking tray, making it more difficult to clean up. To prevent this, line your baking tray with parchment paper.

It's not necessary to oil the outside of your sweet potato or wrap it in aluminum foil. The sweet potato will bake just fine on a baking tray all on its own.

While mother nature gives us sweet potatoes in various shapes and sizes, if you're cooking more than one potato in the oven try to keep them about the same size. No matter if that's all small ones or all large ones.

You can adjust the temperature and time of baking sweet potatoes - they're quite flexible. If you're cooking other items in the oven at 375F, add the sweet potatoes and just remember to cook them 15 minutes longer. Alternatively, if you're cooking other items in the oven at 425F, your sweet potatoes will be done about 15 minutes sooner. But again, this is all dependent on the size of your sweet potato.

More Sweet Potato Recipes to Love

Watch my Video on How to Bake Sweet Potatoes

Baked Sweet Potato: How to Bake Sweet Potatoes Perfectly

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Baked Sweet Potato: How to Bake Sweet Potatoes Perfectly | Downshiftology

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Baked sweet potatoes are one of my favorite side dishes. They're no-fuss, easy to bake and packed with vitamins and nutrients. To serve, just dollop with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. A little dash of cinnamon is also delicious.

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green peppers are fruits because they contain lots of inner seeds. this is a recipe for stuffed green peppers.

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Green bell peppers are filled with ground beef, cooked rice, tomato sauce, and seasonings, then baked for an hour with additional tomato sauce and Italian-style seasoning.

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broccoli is a flower because it is in the flower category and contains flower qualities. This recipe is for a broccoli casserole.

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This broccoli cheese casserole recipe is easy to make with basic ingredients - it's the perfect weeknight crowd-pleasing dinner!

Broccoli Cheese Casserole Ingredients

These are the ingredients you'll need for this top-rated broccoli cheese casserole recipe:

Canned soup: This classic broccoli casserole starts with a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup.

Mayonnaise: A cup of mayo adds richness and subtle tangy flavor.

Egg: An egg lends moisture and helps hold the ingredients together.

Vegetables: You'll need a chopped onion and, of course, frozen broccoli.

Cheese: For the most delicious results, grate your own Cheddar cheese.

Seasonings: The broccoli casserole is seasoned with salt, pepper, and paprika.

How to Make Broccoli Cheese Casserole

You'll find the full, step-by-step recipe below - but here's a brief overview of what you can expect when you make broccoli casserole at home:

1. Mix the soup, mayo, and egg together.

2. Add the frozen broccoli and cheese.

3. Transfer the mixture to a prepared baking dish.

4. Bake in the preheated oven.

How to Store Broccoli Cheese Casserole

Allow the leftover broccoli casserole to cool, then transfer it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to three days. Reheat in the oven or in the microwave.

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

"Great recipe," raves Dee. "For personal preference I added red pepper, French-fried onions, butter and crackers to the mixture and sprinkled crackers on top. Used American, Cheddar and Velveeta cheese."

"Made this with fresh broccoli, steamed it first," says one Allrecipes community member. "Also didn't have cream of mushroom but used cream of onion. Delicious!"

"It turned out great," according to another Allrecipes community member. "My husband doesn't even eat broccoli, but he loved it. The rest of my family did also. I didn't have any cream of mushroom soup on hand, so I used the same amount of Alfredo sauce from a jar."

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

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This tasty broccoli cheese casserole will turn even the pickiest of eaters into broccoli fans! Pairs well with Thanksgiving turkey or Christmas ham.