Potatoes are among the most popular and versatile food items that are readily available at any local grocery store. There are many different types grown throughout the world, but one of the tastiest and most healthy varieties is the sweet potato. Sweet potatoes are exactly as their name implies; sweet.
The orange fleshed root vegetables are considered a superfood because they contain a lot of vitamins and nutrients, such as vitamins A, C, E, and B-6, as well as beta carotene, fiber, potassium, iron, manganese, and copper. The antioxidants found in them can help prevent cancer and heart disease, strengthen your immune system, and even slow aging. Plus, they’re fat free and cholesterol free! A simple sweet potato can be transformed and prepared in many different ways.
They can be served hot or cold and people love them mashed, baked, fried, hashed, steamed, juiced and more. Their only downside seems to be that it often takes a long time to thoroughly cook them. One of the easiest, most basic ways to cook any type of potato is by poking a few holes in the skin and tossing it in the microwave.
Press the preset “Potato” button and minutes later it’s done. While that’s the fastest way to cook them, it’s definitely not the tastiest. Oftentimes the skin and flesh gets rubbery or becomes kind of mealy and it’s just not the same as a slowly cooked, oven baked potato.
Instead of zapping them, try cooking a bunch of them at once in a slow cooker. In the end it’s just as easy as microwaving, but the potatoes will turn out much more delicious. JoAnn Rachor shows how it’s done in this easy to follow video she posted to her YouTube channel.
Start by washing a few sweet potatoes, making sure to scrub the skins well. There is no need to poke them with a fork for this recipe, just trim off any bad spots and then toss into a crock pot with a little water. In the video they used about ½ cup of water for 3 large sweet potatoes, if you cook a larger batch simply adjust the water amount up to about ¾ of a cup.
This doesn’t require a lot of water, just enough to steam and help cook them. Cook on high for about 2-2 ½ hours for a small batch and 3-3 ½ for a larger amount. While they’re cooking you’re free to go about your day and when you get back the potatoes will be done.
The insides will be evenly cooked, fluffy, and tender, while the outside remains firm. You can eat them right away since they’ll be warm and ready, or you can use them in another recipe that calls for cooked sweet potatoes. Try this practically effortless slow cooking method the next time you plan on having sweet potatoes for dinner.
Plus, if you need to shave minutes off a dinner prep time, cook them ahead of schedule and free up a lot of time and valuable oven space.
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