Monday 3 March 2014

Slow Cooker Sweet Potatoes

I love sweet potatoes. I love the flavour, the texture, the colour. I love how they can be dressed up in brown sugar and cinnamon and taste like a desert or be covered in savoury spices and make a great side to a breast of chicken.

[Fun fact: A yam is a plant that grows large starchy tubers, and while sweet potatoes are large, starchy tubers, they are not actually yams, although places in the US call them that. Google it.]


What I don't love is the prep time. Typically, I peel one, chop it into large, rough pieces and boil it until they're soft, then strain and mash. It's not crazy intensive, but boiling a large pot of water takes awhile, and then boiling the potato chunks... So I tried something different.


I peeled on and quickly chopped into large, rough pieces and dumped them in my slow cooker. I covered them with water and left it on low all afternoon. Probably about 4.5 hours before I came home to take care of them again.


They were the perfect consistancy, so I strained and put the chunks back in the slow cooker. I added two tablespoons butter and a dash of basil, parsley, thyme, rosemary and cracked pepper.


I mashed them, and then left them on low for another half hour or so. I could have eaten them right away, but I waited until my husband got home. Cooking them for a little while with the spices isn't going to do them any harm though! Just make it more tasty.


I served them with a piece of baked chicken, spiced with all the same things. It wasn't the most interesting meal I've ever made, but it was tasty, healthy and low-prep. A win in my books! Oh, and of course one whole sweet potato is too much for the two of us, so there's plenty in the fridge for lunch this week.

No comments:

Post a Comment