How to Bake Sweet Potato
This is one type of meal that has a lot to do with our health. It is always tender and rich, baked sweet potatoes can make the best and perfect side to any main dish.
Eating a baked sweet potato has always felt like an indulgence. Even without brown sugar and butter, a plain baked sweet potato can taste like candy when prepared correctly and properly. It’s hard to believe that a simple root vegetable can provide so many vitamins and be so delicious! Baked sweet potatoes are versatile and incredibly easy to prepare. You can go sweet or savory with your toppings; you can make mashed sweet potatoes with the cooked interior for adding to baked goods; you can even add it to make your baby food! Lets look at four steps in making that sweet potatoes.
Step 1
Choose your potatoes by looking for several that are close to the same size. If you try to cook a large potato at the same time as a small potato, the cook times will differ. Wash them with warm water, taking care to scrub any loose dirt from the skin. Then pat your potatoes dry.
One great tip is that you should store your sweet potatoes in a cool, dark place, away from your onions. Onions release gases that cause potatoes (regular and sweet) to spoil quickly.
Step 2
Pierce each potato 5-6 times with a fork. Line a baking sheet with foil (this will help with drips and make for easier clean up) and space the potatoes an inch or two apart. Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Instead of lining a pan with foil, you can wrap each potato individually with a foil. This can be a great option if you are serving a crowd and want the sweet potatoes to stay hot for an extended time. Keep in mind that wrapping the potatoes in foil yields a more tender skin that peels away from the flesh of the potato rather than pulling away when sliced.
Step 3
Now it is time to bake for 45 minutes or an hour.
Let the potatoes rest for a minute or two before slicing and serving with your favorite sweet potato garnishes!