Friends, as I soak in the newborn days, I am thrilled to bring to you some guest posts from fellow bloggers. One of the topics I suggested was to share some of their favorite slow cooker/Crock-Pot recipes. It really was a rather selfish request because, as a mother of a newborn, I knew I’d be using mine a lot more in upcoming days! And really, these type of recipes work well for anyone!
Today Dena shares one of hers. This easy of easiest ways to make sweet potatoes wins me over at once, but the sweet maple cinnamon butter certainly makes the recipes irresistible! I can’t wait to try it. See other slow cooker recipes here: Slow Cooker Mashed Potatoes, Slow Cooker Pot Roast (Cook Once, Eat Thrice), Shawarma Whole Chicken in the Crock-Pot – Kimi
By Dena, from Back To The Book Nutrition
Warning: Your life is about to get much easier. I’ve discovered yet another simple favorite that can be made in the Crock Pot: Sweet Potatoes! (Did you know you can also make creamy homemade yogurt in the slow cooker?)
This method can be used with russet or other potatoes as well, though cooking times may vary a bit depending on the type of potato (more time for russets or less time for reds, whites, and golds).
Sweet potatoes are simple enough to bake in the oven, but I hate that they occupy the oven for an entire hour right when I’m usually needing it to cook another part of the dinner (Rosemary and Bacon Wrapped Pork Loin, anyone?).
Well, I’ve got a very simple solution, and it uses far less energy, to boot! Toss your washed spuds into the crock pot with a splash of water a few hours before dinner time, then go about the rest of your afternoon enjoying the warm, sweet aroma of sweet potatoes filling your home.
It’s nice – really nice.
You know what else is really nice? Maple Cinnamon Butter.
It’s a delightfully creamy blend of three of my very favorite ingredients. It’s the perfect finishing touch for these sweet potatoes, but is also great for slathering on toast, stirring into oatmeal or other hot cereals, and adding to your coffee (I don’t drink butter coffee myself but I just don’t see how “maple cinnamon butter coffee” wouldn’t be an improvement on the original!).
- 6-8 medium sweet potatoes, washed (no need to dry)
- Place sweet potatoes in Crock Pot. Add ¼ cup water. Cover and cook on high for 3 hours or on low for 5-6 hours.
- I like to use a pastry brush to brush a bit of the water from the crock pot on all sides of the potatoes just before serving. If you're planning on keeping the cooked potatoes warm in the slow cooker for a while before serving them, you may want to occasionally open the lid and give them all a good water brushing to keep their skins nice and soft.
- Recipe Notes:
- I used a newer, 6 quart Crock-Pot for this recipe. I've noticed that it cooks much more quickly than my older, 4½ qt Crock Pot. If you have a smaller, and/or older version, you may need to extend the cooking time a bit.
- ½ cup pastured butter (I use salted), softened
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp (a few drops) pure vanilla extract
- Whisk all ingredients together vigorously until smooth and creamy. Serve immediately or chill for a few hours in the fridge if preferred.
- Recipe Notes:
- This recipe makes just enough for 6-8 sweet potatoes. If you'd like to have extra for other uses (which I highly recommend!), you may want to double the batch. This recipe was adapted from Whole Foods' Maple Cinnamon Butter.
Dena Norton is a registered dietitian (RD) turned stay at home mom. She and her husband, Rick, have two precious children, ages 5 and 2. She recently released the 2nd edition of her e-book entitled, Nutrition By The Book, and blogs at Back To The Book Nutrition,where she inspires others to enjoy and worship God through nutrition and health. Subscribe to Dena’s blog or join her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest!
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your Back to the Book Nutrition link appears to be broken.
Thank you for pointing that out, Lee. I’ll work on having it fixed – until then, here’s the direct link: http://www.backtothebooknutrition.com/ 🙂
I think it’s fixed now. Thanks, Lee for pointing that out! 🙂