"I am a member of my gardening club at middle school. We are growing sweet potatoes and many other fruits and vegetables. Once the plants are ready to be harvested we will dig them out and our school will used the for our lunches," says Regan. "My mom challenged me to create a yummy, healthy recipe. I chose sweet potato sliders because they are a fun and healthy lunch. My sweet potato sliders are very yummy and taste great. I enjoy my sliders with a fruit smoothie and sweet potato chips." - Regan Matthews, age 12, Georgia

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients: 

For the sweet potato turkey sliders:

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and thickly sliced crosswise
• 1 pound lean ground turkey
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 12 mini whole wheat buns
• 6 slices provolone cheese, cut in half
• For garnish: spinach, pickles, tomato, mustard, and ketchup

For the sweet potato chips:

• 1 sweet potato, peeled and thinly sliced crosswise
• Cooking spray
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

For the sweet potato turkey sliders:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the sweet potato slices and cook until tender, about 7 minutes. Transfer the sweet potato slices to a bowl and use a fork to mash them. Add the ground turkey, oats, onion, garlic, egg, ricotta cheese, parsley, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper and stir to combine. Shape the mixture into 12 meatball-size sliders and place them on the prepared baking sheet. Bake the sliders, turning them once, for 35 minutes.
3. Top each slider with half a piece of cheese and serve them on the mini whole wheat buns. Garnish with spinach, pickles, tomato, mustard, and ketchup.

Make the sweet potato chips: 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. Arrange the sweet potato slices on the prepared baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake until tender, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.

315 calories; 30g protein; 32g carbohydrates; 9g fat (4g saturated fat); 690mg sodium (not including chips)

More information about the Kids' State Dinner:

• Check out the other winning 2013 Kids' State Dinner Recipes here.
• Learn more about Kids' State Dinner here.