A warm hash that turns a lone sweet potato into dinner for two. The potato gets crispy on one side while an egg finishes in the residual heat, making this weeknight-friendly and done in thirty minutes flat.

Serves 2. 30 minutes, 25 at the stove.

About 320 calories a serving, 7 g protein, 16 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat. From USDA figures for 86% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need 1 sweet potato, 3 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, 2 eggs.

1. Peel and cut one sweet potato into 1/2-inch cubes. Dice one small onion and mince two cloves garlic.
2. Heat three tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the sweet potato cubes and cook, stirring occasionally, for twelve minutes until golden and mostly tender on the outside.12 min
3. Scatter the diced onion over the potatoes and cook for two minutes, stirring gently. Add the garlic, one teaspoon salt, and one-half teaspoon pepper, and stir to combine.2 min
4. Press the hash to create an even layer and let it sit without stirring for two minutes to crisp the bottom. Make two wells in the hash and crack one egg into each well.2 min
5. Cover the skillet and reduce heat to medium. Cook for four minutes until the egg whites are set but the yolks still jiggle when you shake the pan gently, then serve straight from the skillet.4 min

Note Swap diced bell pepper for onion if you have it. Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for two days and reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Serve with hot sauce or a green salad on the side.

Blend your roasted sweet potato into silky soup in twenty minutes, building it from broth and aromatics. The potato is already caramelized, so it needs only heat and cream to shine. Stretches a half potato into something real.

Serves 2. 25 minutes, 12 at the stove.

About 320 calories a serving, 13 g protein, 10 g carbohydrate, 26 g fat. From USDA figures for 83% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need half a potato roasted sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 small onion, 2 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper, 2 cups vegetable or chicken broth, 1/4 cup heavy cream.

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a pot over medium heat and add 1 small onion diced and 2 cloves garlic minced. Cook until the onion softens, about four minutes, stirring often.4 min
2. Pour in 2 cups broth and scrape the roasted sweet potato flesh from its skin into the pot. Bring to a simmer and cook for eight minutes.8 min
3. Blend the soup until smooth using an immersion blender, or carefully pour it into a blender and back to the pot. Stir in 1/4 cup cream and season with salt and pepper.

Note Swap the cream for coconut milk for richness without dairy. Soup keeps covered in the fridge for three days. Serve it with crusty bread and a sharp salad, or ladle it into a bowl and top with crisp sage leaves fried in butter.

Three small sweet potatoes become the center of dinner when you halve them and roast them in butter with garlic and sage until the flesh is tender and the cut side browns. This is what you make when the shelf is bare and the cupboard holds only what you need.

Serves 2. 45 minutes, 10 at the stove.

About 160 calories a serving, 1 g protein, 2 g carbohydrate, 17 g fat. From USDA figures for 67% of the ingredients; amounts are the recipe's.

You need three small halves sweet potatoes, 3 tablespoons butter, 4 cloves garlic, to taste salt, to taste pepper.

1. Heat your oven to 425°F [220°C]. Rub the cut sides of three halved small sweet potatoes with 2 tablespoons of butter, a pinch of salt, and pepper, then lay them cut-side down on a baking sheet.
2. Roast for thirty-five to forty minutes, until the flesh is tender when pierced and the cut side is caramelized and brown.37 min
3. While the potatoes roast, mince four garlic cloves and warm them with the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a small skillet over low heat until fragrant, about two minutes. Stop before the garlic browns.
4. When the potatoes are done, turn them cut-side up and drizzle the garlic butter over the flesh. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed. Serve warm from the baking sheet.

Note Swap sage for garlic by tearing two fresh leaves into the butter. Leftovers keep three days covered in the fridge and reheat in a 350°F [175°C] oven. Serve with a green salad or yogurt on the side to stretch the meal.