Baked Sweet Potatoes

Based on Cook’s Illustrated Recipe

Orange or red-skinned, orange-fleshed sweet potato taste best for this recipe. Try to use sweet potatoes that are similar in size and weight–smaller potatoes (8 to 12 ounces) are ideal.
QUICK LOOK
Prep: 5 minutes
Method: Microwave 9 minutes. Bake 1 hour.
Yield: 4 to 12 sweet potatoes

Ingredients

  • 4 to 12 sweet potatoes

Topping Ideas

  • Butter, brown sugar and cinnamon
  • Toasted marshmallows and toasted coconut
  • Chili
  • BBQ meat
  • Black beans, avocado and salsa
  • Fresh herbs or dried seasonings
  • Vegetables–corn, caramelized onion, sautéed mushrooms
  • Nuts or seeds–pecans, sunflower seeds, peanuts
  • Sauces/dressings–ranch, peanut, Alfredo, BBQ
  • Cheese

Directions

  1. WASH sweet potatoes and poke a few fork holes in each potato.
  2. ADJUST oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°. Place potatoes in microwave. Microwave until potatoes yield to gentle pressure and the centers register 200°, 6 to 9 minutes, flipping potatoes every 3 minutes.
  3. LINE a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer potatoes onto prepared pan and bake for 1 hour (exteriors of potatoes will be lightly browned and potatoes will feel very soft when squeezed). Turn oven off. Leave potatoes in the oven until ready to serve.
  4. SLIT each potato lengthwise; hold ends and squeeze slightly to push flesh up and out. Transfer potatoes to serving platter. Top as desired.
  5. CONFIDENCE GAINED!

Recipe Notes

  • Skip the microwave step if you buy huge sweet potatoes or yams that need to be baked to make sweet potato dream. Just add extra oven time and bake until the potatoes soften.
  • Bake some extra potatoes and keep them in the fridge for a quick snack–they taste great hot or cold. Try them for breakfast with toasted pecans and cinnamon.
  • Microwave 6-9 minutes
  • Ready to bake
  • Sweet sticky ooze is an indicator potatoes are finished
  • Toasted pecans and cinnamon