I love me some sweet potatoes. No joke. I have always enjoyed them, but when I started doing physique shows in 2013, they were a staple. And my carb of choice for many months!
In general, sweet potatoes are pretty easy to cook. You can cut them into fries and bake (cutting takes the longest here). You can straight bake them like a baked potato (takes a little longer and you can't leave the house with the oven on). You can boil and mash them (also has to be monitored).
I've even made hash browns with them!! SOOO delicious, however, I need to perfect that recipe before I share. 😉
What I have been doing lately is throwing the potatoes into the crock pot and leaving for the day. When I get home, I have 4-6 perfectly cooked "baked" sweet potatoes! Meal prep can be done!
However, I also love some variety. Plus with the holidays coming up, this is an easy way to bring a healthy dish to the pot luck or your Grandma's house... and no one will bat an eye because it's so good!
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Wash sweet potatoes. This gets a little moisture on the potatoes which I find helps when they cook. Not necessary, but I prefer it.
2. Cook on low for 4 hours (maybe longer if you have more than 4-5 potatoes).
3. When done, let them cool enough to peel the skins off. I literally just use me (clean) hands to peel it off. This is the easiest way! You can still do it if they've been in the fridge, but it's much easier when warm.
4. Put the flesh in a bowl and mix with hand mixer. (You can mash with a masher as well, but the mixer helps the creaminess).
5. Add 1/4 cup of milk, 1-2 tbsp brown sugar, and 1-2 tsp cinnamon. Yes, you can serve them with nothing else and I promise they will still taste carmelized and amazing. But the amount of calories you'd be adding with the milk and brown sugar is minimal, especially if the entire dish is made up of 7-8 potatoes!
6. Once all this is blended together, lay it out in a glass baking dish. Keep it refrigerated for a few days if need be. When it's time to eat, warm it up in the over for 20-30 minutes @ 300-350*. During the last 5-10 minutes, toss a handful of mini marshmallows on half of the dish... adds a nice, delicious touch for those that want a little extra yummy. The kids love it too!
1 large sweet potato contains:
162 calories
37g carbs
3.6g protein