Give Sweet Potatoes The Best Flavor With This Easy Cooking Technique

Sweet potatoes are inherently, well, sweet. When cooked, the flesh of these spuds becomes deliciously creamy and almost dessert-like in flavor. But there's a quick and easy method for cooking your sweet potatoes that takes them to the next level, letting all of those sweet notes coalesce into slightly burnt sugary glory: Cut them in half lengthwise and roast them face down.

This method lets the flesh sides caramelize against the heat of the sheet pan, drawing out and amplifying all of those sugars and creating an exterior that makes it candy-like in the best possible way. It's kind of like the effect a campfire has on a lovingly tended marshmallow, making the inside slightly gooey, and the outside a toasty golden-brown, without becoming charred. This method works equally well on Japanese or standard American sweet potatoes, and all that lies between you and a tantalizing brûlée dupe finish is a parchment lined pan.

While boiling sweet potatoes means a lot of the sweetness and nutrients end up in the cooking water, roasting sweet potatoes (and other veggies) is known to bring out their sweetness and this cut-side down method ups the game. Rather than a mere serviceable roasted or baked sweet potato, this incredibly straightforward technique increases the surface area that meets direct heat, producing two tempting halves, each with a slightly crunchy, sugar-forward crust. Simply halve the potatoes, drizzle with a bit of olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast in an oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 45 minutes.

The results are super appealing to eat straight as a snack or side (ideal for those looking to limit calories) or as an extra indulgence when graced with a bit of butter, drizzle of honey, and some fresh herbs. Alternatively, scoop the flesh out of the skin for mashed sweet potatoes that are a creamy, candied, satisfying side that channels sweet potato pie vibes. One try and the noticeable flavor upgrade studded with bits of caramelized goodness may convince you to make this your default sweet potato treatment.