Description
This classic baked sweet potato recipe yields perfectly tender and flavorful sweet potatoes with a slightly crispy skin. Simple to prepare and bake, this dish makes a delicious and nutritious side or base for various toppings.
Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 sweet potatoes
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Optional: butter, for serving
Instructions
- Wash and Scrub: Start by preheating your oven to 400°F (200°C). While the oven warms up, wash the sweet potatoes thoroughly under running water and scrub their skins to remove any dirt.
- Poke Potatoes: Place the cleaned sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Using a fork or a sharp knife, poke 4 to 5 holes evenly around each potato. This allows steam to escape during baking and helps them cook evenly.
- Bake: Put the baking sheet in the preheated oven and bake the sweet potatoes for about 60 minutes. To check for doneness, insert a fork or knife into the thickest part of a potato; it should slide in easily with minimal resistance.
- Season and Serve: Once baked, remove the sweet potatoes from the oven. Split them open and season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Add butter if desired for extra richness, and serve warm.
Notes
- To speed up baking, you can microwave the sweet potatoes for 5-6 minutes before placing them in the oven.
- For extra crisp skin, you can rub the skins with a little olive oil before baking.
- Leftover baked sweet potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and reheated as needed.
