A baked sweet potato is one of the most versatile items I have ever worked with. It is ready to eat cold, as-is, and also easily microwaved. But that is just the tip of the iceberg. Not only are there countless applications for a sweet potato once it is baked, but the process of preparing it is about as easy at it gets.
I wash them, maybe even scrub a little, and then while they are still wet I coat them with salt. Adding the salt while the skin is wet does a number of things. The salt immediately starts to burrow its way in and eventually creates a little bit of a crust during the cooking process. There is something special about a salty, crisp outside and a soft, rich, sweet inside.
I prefer and definitely recommend and extended bake-time. I set my oven to 400 degrees and let em bake for about 75-90 minutes. If your sweet potatoes are really long and thin check them at 65 minutes. If they are massive...check them at 90 minutes but two hours might be the ticket. You just want to give them time to get really soft in the middle and cook passed the point where they are still firm. This creates a mouthwatering texture for the palate and it also gives the sugar in the sweet potato time to process so that it has a deeper, richer taste. Last but not least - they will drip a little in the oven so have them on something, or put something below them to protect your oven.
Here are just a few options for a baked (hot or cold) sweet potato. "Fat" refers to your choice of oil or butter.
