A fun and delicious side dish for the whole family. Smashed sweet potatoes are great for little hands to hold and pack in great nutrition, especially with spinach pesto on top!
Preheat oven to 425* F. Grease a large rimmed baking sheet.
Wash sweet potatoes, scrubbing skin well. Cut into 1-inch slices and place on the prepared baking sheet.
Pour a few tablespoons of water into the baking sheet, then place into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until sweet potatoes are soft.
Meanwhile, make the pesto: use a food processor to combine walnuts, 1/4 cup parmesan, olive oil, garlic cloves, lemon juice, and salt. Pulse until well-combined. Then add basil leaves and spinach and pulse again until a pesto is formed.
Remove sweet potato rounds from the oven, flip them over, and smash with a fork or potato masher.
Spread each smashed sweet potato with a spoonful of pesto, then sprinkle a little extra parmesan cheese on top, if desired.
Place the sweet potatoes back into the oven (still at 425*F) and bake for 5-10 minutes.