Dump raw scored sweet potato halves in the crock with 4 other ingredients and get a dish so good your husband will be asking when you're making it again

This is my kind of weeknight side dish: you literally score raw sweet potato halves, dump them in the slow cooker with four pantry-friendly ingredients, flip it on, and walk away. By the time you’re home from work, the potatoes are tender, caramelized around the edges, and swimming in a buttery, lightly sweet sauce that tastes way more special than the effort you put in. It’s inspired by those classic Midwestern sweet potato bakes you see at potlucks, but scaled down and simplified for busy May weeknights when you still want something that feels cozy and homemade. Don’t be surprised if your husband (or anyone you feed) immediately asks when you’re making them again.

These slow cooker sweet potatoes are perfect alongside grilled chicken, pork chops, or a simple baked salmon. I like to spoon some of the buttery sauce over the top and add a crisp green salad or steamed green beans to balance the sweetness. They also play really well with burgers or brats if you’re doing an easy backyard dinner, and any leftovers can be sliced and tucked into grain bowls with rotisserie chicken and a dollop of Greek yogurt for lunch the next day.

Servings: 4

4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise

Scrub the sweet potatoes well and pat them dry. Leave the skin on and slice each sweet potato in half lengthwise.

Place each sweet potato half cut-side up on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, score the flesh in a crosshatch pattern: make several parallel cuts about 1/4 inch deep, then turn the potato and make several more cuts across to form small diamonds. Be careful not to cut all the way through the skin.

Lightly grease the bottom of your slow cooker with a bit of butter or nonstick spray to help prevent sticking.

Arrange the raw scored sweet potato halves in a single snug layer in the bottom of the slow cooker, skin-side down and scored side facing up. They can overlap slightly if needed, but try to keep most of the scored surface exposed. (This is the exact setup you’d see in a top-down process shot: raw, scored halves with skin on, nestled in the crock.)

In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the melted butter, maple syrup, kosher salt, and ground cinnamon until smooth and combined.

Pour the butter-maple mixture evenly over the sweet potato halves, making sure to coat the scored tops so the flavor seeps down into the cuts as they cook.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours, or on HIGH for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, until the sweet potatoes are very tender when pierced with a fork and the edges look slightly caramelized.

Once cooked, carefully spoon some of the buttery sauce from the bottom of the slow cooker over the tops of the sweet potatoes. Taste and add a tiny pinch of extra salt if needed to balance the sweetness.

Serve the sweet potato halves warm directly from the slow cooker, drizzling with any remaining sauce. If you’d like them a bit more caramelized, you can transfer them to a baking sheet, spoon some sauce on top, and broil for 2 to 3 minutes, watching closely so they don’t burn.

To make this even more weeknight-friendly, you can scrub and score the sweet potatoes the night before, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge; in the morning, just dump them into the slow cooker, whisk the quick sauce, and turn it on. For a slightly less sweet version, reduce the maple syrup to 2 tablespoons and add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of salt. For a richer, more dessert-like side, sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar over the scored tops before cooking and add a dash of vanilla extract to the butter mixture. If you like a little heat, add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce for a sweet-and-spicy twist. To keep this dairy-free, swap the butter for coconut oil or a vegan buttery spread; the flavor will lean slightly tropical with coconut oil, which is great with the cinnamon. For a more savory take, skip the cinnamon and cut the maple syrup in half, then add 1 teaspoon garlic powder and 1 teaspoon smoked paprika instead. Food safety tips: Always start with clean, scrubbed sweet potatoes and a clean cutting board and knife. Make sure your slow cooker is in good working condition and cook the potatoes on the recommended LOW or HIGH settings; avoid using a “keep warm” setting to cook from raw, as it may not reach a safe temperature quickly enough. If you prep the potatoes ahead, refrigerate them within 2 hours of scoring and do not leave them sitting at room temperature. Leftovers should be cooled, then stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator and eaten within 3 to 4 days; reheat until steaming hot before serving.