Expert: Teri Davis Newman - 12/11/2009

Question
QUESTION: I was asked to make Rosemary Roasted Sweet Potatoes for 30 people. How many pounds of sweet potatoes do i need? How long should I cook it for and what temperature? And how many sprigs of Rosemary?

ANSWER: I would need to see the recipe. You can scale it up by seeing how many servings in the original recipe i.e. 6 servings and multiplying the ingredients by 5 which would give you 30 servings.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Here is the recipe to my first question:

Ingredients
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
6 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Arrange the sweet potatoes and garlic in a shallow flameproof baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander.

In a baking dish, combine the oil and butter and melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the potatoes and garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes in a single layer and roast on the lowest rack of the oven, turning them occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a heated serving bowl and serve at once.


Answer
Here's your recipe for 30.   Good luck!
9 pounds sweet potatoes (4 medium), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
30 garlic cloves
6 oz olive oil
6 (3/4 stick) tablespoon unsalted butter
4 TBS minced fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Arrange the sweet potatoes and garlic in a shallow flameproof baking dish large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add just enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring the water to a boil over medium high heat and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain in a colander.

In a baking dish, combine the oil and butter and melt the butter over medium heat. Remove from the heat, add the potatoes and garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper to taste and toss to coat. Spread the potatoes in a single layer and roast on the lowest rack of the oven, turning them occasionally, for 25 to 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer to a heated serving bowl and serve at once.