Slow cookers are extremely handy if you need to do quick food prep and let something cook for an extended period of time. They are perfect for tenderizing meat and cooking stews, soups, and casseroles. This method of cooking really helps bring out the food’s flavor.
One dish that cooks well in a crockpot is a sweet potato casserole. We recently found a mouth-watering Cooktop Cove recipe that easily lays out how to use a slow cooker to make a yummy sweet potato casserole.
Gather the ingredients
Sweet potatoes aren’t just for holiday meals. They make a great treat any time of the year. This particular recipe is inexpensive and easy to follow.
To start, you’ll need a slow cooker/crockpot. Then, gather these ingredients:
- 3–4 pounds of sweet potatoes (peeled and diced)
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
- 3 tablespoons of orange juice
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla
- 2 cups of brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon of ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon of ground allspice
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of mini marshmallows
Step 1: Mix the ingredients
Spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray. Then add the diced sweet potatoes, butter, orange juice, and vanilla.
Now, sprinkle the brown sugar, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, ground ginger, ground allspice, ground cloves, and salt on top. Then stir it well, making sure all of the ingredients are completely combined.
Step 2: Slow cook
After all of the ingredients are mixed thoroughly, put the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for four hours. Make sure to occasionally stir the recipe as it cooked — especially within the first 30 minutes of cooking.
Once the sweet potatoes are tender and start to brown, the casserole is ready for the next step.
Step 3: Add marshmallows
Add the marshmallows on top of the sweet potatoes. Then set the heat to low. Put the lid on, and cook until all of the marshmallows melt.
Step 4: Serve to your friends, family, and co-workers
Now you are ready to serve the sweet potato casserole and enjoy!
Slower cooker dos and don’ts
To ensure you’re using your slow cooker safely and effectively, here are some dos and don’ts:
- Make sure to fill the slow cooker between one-half and two-thirds full.
- Cheaper cuts of meat actually cook better in a slow cooker. Why? Because it has a higher fat/connective tissue content, which makes it break down more easily during lengthy cooking. This leads to juicier and tenderer meat.
- Because milk, cream, and other dairy products can break down and thicken when overheated, it’s better to add them toward the end of the slow cooker process — some recommend stirring them into the slow cooker within the last 15 to 30 minutes.
- Browning the meat before putting is into the slow cooker helps increase its flavor.
Now for a few don’ts …
- Don’t place frozen food directly into the slow cooker.
- Don’t keep peeking or stirring because doing so allows heat out of the cooker.
- Don’t add too much liquid; meat and vegetables give off liquid while cooking. And the liquid does not evaporate because of the lid.
- Don’t store leftovers in the fridge using the slow cooker liner. It won’t cool quickly enough in the fridge because the liner retains more heat than a normal food storage container.
Remember to preheat the slow cooker before you start cooking, start with room-temperature meat, and don’t throw away leftovers. Why? Because slow cooker leftovers often taste better on the second day because the ingredients actually become more flavorful over time.
Check out this sweet potato casserole slow cooker recipe from Delish.com.
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