This easy recipe is a great way to get sweet potatoes on the table at dinnertime. You’re likely to have all the ingredients in your pantry (just four, plus the sweet potatoes!), and they come together with very little active time. It’s a reliable weeknight recipe and one that you’ll be tempted to break out when sweet potatoes are in peak season—as well as all year round. When selecting the sweet potatoes to use in this recipe, it’s important to choose sweet potatoes that are of similar sizes and shapes. This will ensure that they all cook at the same rate. With some small potatoes and some large ones, you’re likely to burn the little ones while the bigger ones will come out uncooked in the middle. Also, very round potatoes (those shaped like baseballs) will take longer to cook than potatoes that are more elongated in shape. Enjoy this easy-baked sweet potato recipe, and feel free to personalize the toppings to your preferences. The SL Test Kitchen recommends topping sweet potatoes with chopped chicken or leftover chili to make a satisfying main dish.
Ingredients
- 4 (12-oz.) sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup salted butter, sliced evenly into 4 pieces
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Liberally prick sweet potatoes all over using a fork. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven until very tender, 45 to 55 minutes. Cut a lengthwise slit down the center of each sweet potato. Pull each sweet potato open, and fluff using a fork. Top evenly with butter pieces; sprinkle with sugar, salt, and pepper.