(function() {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
var componentMetadata = JSON.parse('\x7b\x22componentName\x22\x3a\x22ActionToolbar_59e5fa31-dc57-46ea-93d1-265650a760f0\x22,\x22deferOptions\x22\x3a\x7b\x22deferComponent\x22\x3atrue,\x22deferType\x22\x3a\x22OnDemand\x22,\x22deferId\x22\x3a\x22r38ec0cac6c16455fa3dbe828418a4e21\x22,\x22deferredContainerId\x22\x3a\x22\x2ffloatingActionToolbar\x2ffloatingActionToolbar_interop\x22,\x22deferredContainerView\x22\x3a\x22InteropDeferWrapper\x22\x7d,\x22viewName\x22\x3a\x22ActionToolbar\x22\x7d');
var configuration = {"contentId":"c22135d6-5efb-42b4-875f-60d1aa71370f","toolbarSettings":{"id":"59e5fa31-dc57-46ea-93d1-265650a760f0","regAction":"FAVORITE","eSourceCode":11275,"namePassedToEvents":"ArticleStandardLongFormToolbar","buttons":[{"addFavoriteErrorMessage":"Sorry, something went wrong. Please save again.","removeFavoriteErrorMessage":"Error occurred while removing from favorites","regAction":"FAVORITE","eSourceCode":11275,"isCurrentUserAnonymous":false,"isFavoriteItem":false,"id":"16a29701-2b75-4d9a-aa9c-860376da50d7","allowedForAnonymousUsers":false,"type":"Favorite","displayName":"Save","namePassedToEvents":"Favorite","cssClassName":"atButtonFavorite","privacyOptOutMessage":"\u003cdiv class=\u0027privacyMessage\u0027\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThis feature is not available with your current cookie settings.\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can \u003ca href=\u0027#\u0027 data-show-preference-center=\u00271\u0027\u003eupdate your privacy settings\u003c/a\u003e to enable this content. Please enable “Functional Cookies” to use this feature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","showPrivacyOptOutMessage":false},{"providerName":"pinterest","providerNamePassedToEvents":"Pinterest","shareUrlFormat":"//pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url={0}","id":"c18cf08e-e436-4cd0-a180-1bafb15369a6","allowedForAnonymousUsers":true,"type":"Social","displayName":"Pinterest","namePassedToEvents":"Pinterest","cssClassName":"atButtonPinterest","privacyOptOutMessage":"\u003cdiv class=\u0027privacyMessage\u0027\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThis feature is not available with your current cookie settings.\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can \u003ca href=\u0027#\u0027 data-show-preference-center=\u00271\u0027\u003eupdate your privacy settings\u003c/a\u003e to enable this content. Please enable “Functional Cookies” to use this feature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","showPrivacyOptOutMessage":false},{"templateId":"13bdd311-4300-4fb8-9d78-9cbaf98f5578","dialogHeading":"Email Article","emailCode":"BC_ContentEmail","dialogSettings":{"cancelButtonText":"Cancel","copyToSenderLabel":"Send a Copy to Myself","emailAddressesLabel":"* Email Address(es)","emailInstructionText":"Separate email addresses with commas","fromText":"From:","privacyPolicyText":"\u003cp\u003e\u0026copy;2024 General Mills, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This information will only be used to send an email to your friend(s) and will not be saved. Please read our \u003ca rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 href=\u0022http://www.generalmills.com/company/privacy-policies/privacy-policy-us\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022 shape=\u0022rect\u0022\u003ePrivacy Policy\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","requiredFieldText":"* Required","sendButtonText":"Send","senderEmailAddressLabel":"* Your Email Address","senderFirstNameLabel":"* Your First Name","sendToText":"Send To:"},"id":"be9422a3-85a8-4c31-86f5-e171255bb89d","allowedForAnonymousUsers":true,"type":"Email","displayName":"Email","namePassedToEvents":"Email","cssClassName":"atButtonEmail","privacyOptOutMessage":"\u003cdiv class=\u0027privacyMessage\u0027\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThis feature is not available with your current cookie settings.\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can \u003ca href=\u0027#\u0027 data-show-preference-center=\u00271\u0027\u003eupdate your privacy settings\u003c/a\u003e to enable this content. Please enable “Functional Cookies” to use this feature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","showPrivacyOptOutMessage":false},{"providerName":"facebook","providerNamePassedToEvents":"Facebook","shareUrlFormat":"//facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u={0}","id":"6c3f442d-6ffe-460f-8360-b02b122d326c","allowedForAnonymousUsers":true,"type":"Social","displayName":"Facebook","namePassedToEvents":"Facebook","cssClassName":"atButtonFacebook","privacyOptOutMessage":"\u003cdiv class=\u0027privacyMessage\u0027\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThis feature is not available with your current cookie settings.\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can \u003ca href=\u0027#\u0027 data-show-preference-center=\u00271\u0027\u003eupdate your privacy settings\u003c/a\u003e to enable this content. Please enable “Functional Cookies” to use this feature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","showPrivacyOptOutMessage":false},{"layoutParameter":"p%3d1","id":"de022929-4416-4bc9-ab3c-ae5711d562bf","allowedForAnonymousUsers":true,"type":"Print","displayName":"Print","namePassedToEvents":"Print","cssClassName":"atButtonPrint","privacyOptOutMessage":"\u003cdiv class=\u0027privacyMessage\u0027\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eThis feature is not available with your current cookie settings.\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can \u003ca href=\u0027#\u0027 data-show-preference-center=\u00271\u0027\u003eupdate your privacy settings\u003c/a\u003e to enable this content. Please enable “Functional Cookies” to use this feature.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/div\u003e","showPrivacyOptOutMessage":false}],"isSticky":true},"userSettings":{"isCurrentUserAnonymous":true,"isFavoriteItem":false},"pageAttributes":{"url":"https%3a%2f%2forigin-www.bettycrocker.com%2fhow-to%2ftipslibrary%2fcooking-tips%2fhow-to-cook-sweet-potatoes","contentId":"c22135d6-5efb-42b4-875f-60d1aa71370f"},"recaptchaPublicKey":"6LfU_icUAAAAALSqSjRg5hqZwbPr1b8k-_80a_S_"};
var moduleName = 'actionToolbar';
var isVueModule = true;
GeneralMills.PandoSites.RegisterControlInstance(moduleName, configuration, componentMetadata, isVueModule)
});
})();
Introduction
Sweet potatoes play a starring role in some of our favorite side dishes—both for special holiday meals and easy everyday eats. Whether baked plain, mashed, or made candied or cheesy, sweet potatoes are a good-for-you starch that’s full of culinary possibility.
There are several easy ways to cook sweet potatoes, including baking, mashing, sautéing, grilling, and even slow-cooking. We’ll walk you through each method and provide helpful hints on how to make sweet potatoes your family will love. For any given method, you’ll only need a few simple cooking utensils, such as a baking dish, stockpot, or slow-cooker.
How Healthy Are Sweet Potatoes?
Types of Sweet Potatoes
You may not know this, but there are actually many different types of sweet potatoes, ranging in flavor and color. Here are some common ones you may find at your local grocery store:
Beauregard: Red-skinned Beauregards are the most commonly grown commercial variety of sweet potatoes, and have an ideal texture for just about any method of cooking.
Covington: A favorite of the South, Covingtons have an orange-colored flesh that becomes malty sweet when baked. This is an ideal sweet potato to use in side dishes or desserts.
O’Henry: With a cream-colored flesh, the O’Henry remains dense when baked and has a lightly sweet flavor.
Jewel: Jewels have a deeper orange-colored flesh that becomes ultra-tender when cooked. For this reason, Jewels are ideal for casseroles or side dishes.
Are Sweet Potatoes Different Than Yams?
One common misconception about sweet potatoes is that they are the same as yams. Sweet potatoes and yams are both tuberous root vegetables, but they are not related. Most yams come from Africa and Asia, and have a blackish or brown skin with purple, white, or red flesh. Yams are drier and contain more starch than sweet potatoes, and aren’t even carried in most local grocery stores. How could this be?
To start with, there are two main types of sweet potatoes: soft and firm. When sweet potatoes were first introduced in the United States, only firm sweet potatoes were sold. Once soft varieties began making their way to the U.S., grocers needed a way to differentiate between the two varieties. The began to frequently label soft sweet potatoes as “yams.”
So ironically, when you want a classic baked sweet potato with orange flesh for Thanksgiving, what you actually should look for at the grocery store is a grocery-store-labeled “yam.” How’s that for confusing? If you were as surprised as we were, try to simply differentiate the sweet potatoes sold at the store by looking at the color of the skin and the flesh if possible. Use the main types we outlined above to buy the right sweet potato for your specific cooking needs.
How to Store Sweet Potatoes
Before you cook your sweet potatoes, you can keep them stored at room temperature. It’s not recommended to refrigerate your sweet potatoes before cooking, as this has the potential to alter their final taste. Instead, cover them loosely in a bag or keep them in a fruit bowl for 5 to 7 days.
How to Cook Sweet Potatoes
As we mentioned, there are several easy ways to cook a sweet potato! Find the method that you like best and use it to make creative sweet potato recipes—everything from Sweet Potato Risotto to a Roasted Sweet Potato Pie.
Baked
Baked sweet potatoes are about as easy as it gets! Simply grab a fork and a baking dish—not forgetting a little aluminum foil—and they’re ready to go in the oven! You can season with your favorite herbs or spices and add plenty of butter when they’re still hot.
- Use a fork to pierce the sweet potato skin 5-6 times
- Place potatoes on a baking sheet or in a baking dish—either one, line with foil first
- Bake at 400° F for about 45 minutes or until tender.
Sauteed
Make flavorful sweet potatoes on your stovetop in two simple steps! This approach is elegant enough for holiday dinners but also easy enough for simple weeknight meals.
- Slice sweet potato into 1 ½ inch-thick slices
- Toss in pan with a bit of olive oil and sauté for 10 minutes
Mashed
Why should regular potatoes get all the love? Our five-star Whipped Maple Sweet Potatoes are too good to pass up! For mashed sweet potatoes, all it takes are a few simple steps:
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil
- Add potatoes (sliced into 1 ½ inch thickness) to pot
- Cook about 25 minutes or until tender
- Blend potatoes with electric mixer (on low), adding milk according to recipe
Microwaved
When you’re short on time but still filled with a sweet potato craving, your microwave can be your best friend! All you’ll need is a fork and a microwave-safe plate:
- Use a fork to pierce the sweet potato skin 5-6 times
- Place potato on microwave-safe plate; microwave for 5-8 minutes, rotating halfway through
- Potato will be done when the skin is crisp and the flesh is tender
Slow-Cooked
Slow-cooked sweet potatoes are tender and ultra-flavorful; and all they require is a crockpot and a few minutes of prep! There are tons of slow-cooked sweet potato recipes that have our hearts, but our Slow-Cooker Sweet Potatoes with Applesauce is our favorite. In general, most recipes will require you to take these three simple steps in order to slow-cook sweet potatoes:
- Peel and dice sweet potatoes and put on bottom of slow-cooker
- Turn slow-cooker to low; let cook for 6-7 hours
- Top with butter or other herbs
Grilled
Grilled sweet potatoes play nicely with a huge assortment of yummy flavors, from orange glaze to rosemary and thyme. Fire up your grill and break out a few seasonings to make these simple yet sumptuous grilled sweet potatoes:
- Peel potatoes and cut in half, lengthwise
- Season with salt or other seasonings
- Grill 20-30 minutes or until potatoes are tender
How to Serve Sweet Potatoes
Now that you’ve cooked your sweet potatoes to perfection, it’s time to top them with your favorite ingredients! Here are some of our favorite ways to top sweet potatoes:
- Butter
- Sour cream
- Cheese
- Bacon bits
- Seasonings
- Chives
Looking for more inspiration? Betty has all the best-ever sweet potato recipes you need, from sweet potato fries to sweet potato pies!
(function() {
document.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function() {
var componentMetadata = JSON.parse('\x7b\x22componentName\x22\x3a\x22NewsletterCTA_b9911a56-3a0d-4b1c-8521-df6c10ce048a\x22,\x22deferOptions\x22\x3a\x7b\x22deferComponent\x22\x3atrue,\x22deferType\x22\x3a\x22OnDemand\x22,\x22deferId\x22\x3a\x22r4fe525cca5f34df4901f2b8eae6e7993\x22,\x22deferredContainerId\x22\x3a\x22\x2fprimaryColumn\x2finteropInlineNewsletterCta\x22,\x22deferredContainerView\x22\x3a\x22InteropDeferWrapper\x22\x7d,\x22viewName\x22\x3a\x22NewsletterCTA\x22\x7d');
var configuration = {"unsubscribedNewsletters":[{"listId":"1e34a555-89d1-45f0-8f07-b3ae6b01c03c","thumbnailImageUrl":"/-/media/GMI/Core-Sites/BC/Images/Shared/myaccount/newsletters/BC_Thumb157x157.png?sc_lang=en","previewUrl":"https://morpheus3.idpk.net/email_sends/9111/preview","name":"Betty\u0027s Email","isPromo":false}],"settings":{"anonymousCopy":"Get a free gift from Betty and Shutterfly! ","anonymousDescriptionCopy":"\u003cp\u003eBetty emails are full of recipes and tips that turn weeknights and holidays into celebrations. Sign up today and get a free customizable 8x8 picture book from Betty and Shutterfly\u0026mdash;hurry, this offer is only for a limited time!\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\u0022font-size: 11px;\u0022\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e*Offer expires February 28, 2025 (11:59 P.M. PT).\u003c/strong\u003e Offer valid for new subscribers only. Offer is good for one free 20-standard page 8x8 hardcover photo book through\n\u003ca rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 href=\u0022https://nam02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fshutterfly.com%2F\u0026amp;data=05%7C02%7CSudha.Narayan%40genmills.com%7C27083def59514567311c08dce3e4cacd%7C0c33cce8883c4ba5b61534a6e2b8ff38%7C0%7C0%7C638635819019851366%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C\u0026amp;sdata=7RfkAwnZJWr8jB4ATYzEgoWor%2BLVYO6tGGojt59XMtQ%3D\u0026amp;reserved=0\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003eshutterfly.com\u003c/a\u003e\nor the Shutterfly app. Shipping \u0026amp; Handling apply. Valid for United States only - \u003ca href=\u0022/shutterfly-terms-2024\u0022\u003evisit here for full terms and conditions\u003c/a\u003e. \u003c/p\u003e","anonymousThankYouCopy":"\u003cp\u003eThanks! Your first email is on its way.\u003c/p\u003e\n","anonymousThankYouDescriptionCopy":"\u003cp\u003eYour Shutterfly redemption code will be sent within 48 hours. Now’s a great time to create an account on BettyCrocker.com so you can save your favorite recipes, get first dibs on special offers, hear the latest Betty news, and more. Join for free today!\u003c/p\u003e","anonymousButtonText":"Sign up now","anonymousEmailInvalidErrorText":"Please enter a valid email address.","anonymousSubscribeErrorText":"We encountered an error while signing you up. Please try again.","anonymousEmailAddressPlaceholderText":"Enter your email address","anonymousEmailAddressLabel":"Email Address","anonymousLegalCopy":"By signing up, you accept our\u0026nbsp;\u003ca rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.generalmills.com/privacy-security/us-english-privacy-policy\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022text-decoration: underline;\u0022\u003ePrivacy Policy\u003c/span\u003e\u003c/a\u003e\u0026nbsp;and agree that your information may be used across our\u0026nbsp;\u003ca rel=\u0022noopener noreferrer\u0022 href=\u0022https://www.generalmills.com/food-we-make/brands\u0022 target=\u0022_blank\u0022\u003e\u003cspan style=\u0022text-decoration: underline;\u0022\u003efamily of brands\u003c/span\u003e.\u003c/a\u003e","requiredFieldText":"","backgroundColor":"#E60000","accentColor":"","registrationUrl":"/register/reg-fp?RegAction=SUBSCRIBERUPGRADE\u0026esrc=11275\u0026returnUrl=%2fhow-to%2ftipslibrary%2fcooking-tips%2fhow-to-cook-sweet-potatoes","registrationLinkText":"Join free!","enableExpandedFields":false,"hideForSessionCookieExpiration":0,"ctaType":"StandardAnonymous","location":"Inline","userState":"Anonymous","sourceCodeOverride":0}};
var moduleName = 'newsletterCta';
var isVueModule = true;
GeneralMills.PandoSites.RegisterControlInstance(moduleName, configuration, componentMetadata, isVueModule)
});
})();