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.