My aunt taught me to tightly wrap just 3 ingredients to lock in all the sweet steam. They melt in your mouth with a rich, sticky glaze that makes the whole house smell amazing.

These slow cooker 3-ingredient foil packet sweet potatoes are the kind of cozy, no-fuss side dish my aunt used to make for every holiday and Sunday dinner. She swore the secret was tightly wrapping the sweet potatoes in foil with just butter and brown sugar so all the sweet steam stayed trapped inside. The result is tender, melt-in-your-mouth cubes coated in a rich, sticky glaze that makes the whole house smell like caramel and roasted sweet potatoes. Everything cooks right in your slow cooker, so it’s perfect for busy days, potlucks, or when you need your oven free for other dishes.

Serve these sweet potatoes right in their foil packets so everyone can peel them open at the table and breathe in that warm, buttery steam. They’re wonderful alongside roasted chicken, pork chops, ham, or a simple grilled sausage. For a fuller plate, add a crisp green salad or steamed green beans to balance the sweetness. You can also spoon the glazed sweet potatoes over rice or quinoa for an easy meatless bowl, or pile them next to scrambled eggs and bacon for a special weekend breakfast-for-dinner.

Servings: 4

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Line up 4 large pieces of heavy-duty aluminum foil (about 12 x 12 inches each) on your counter. If using regular foil, double-layer each piece so the packets are sturdy and hold in the steam.

Divide the sweet potato cubes evenly among the foil pieces, piling them in the center of each sheet so they’ll be easy to wrap tightly.

Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the sweet potatoes in each packet, making sure some of the sugar falls down between the cubes so it can melt into a syrupy glaze.

Dot the tops of the sweet potatoes with the butter pieces, dividing the butter evenly among the packets. Try to spread the butter around so it melts over as many cubes as possible.

Bring the two opposite sides of the foil up over the sweet potatoes and press them together, then fold down tightly several times to seal. Next, fold and crimp the remaining open sides tightly toward the center to make a snug, leak-resistant packet. The goal is to trap all the steam and juices inside so the potatoes get very soft and glazed.

Place the foil packets seam-side up in the slow cooker in a single layer as much as possible. It’s okay if they overlap a bit, but don’t press them down too hard—you want a little air space inside each packet for the steam to circulate.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 5 to 6 hours, or on HIGH for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the sweet potatoes are very tender when poked through the foil with a fork. The brown sugar and butter will have melted into a bubbling, sticky syrup around the cubes.

When done, carefully lift the packets out of the slow cooker with tongs or a spatula—they will be hot and may release steam when moved. Let them sit for a minute on a heatproof surface.

Open each packet carefully, facing the opening away from you to avoid the hot steam. Gently stir the sweet potatoes right in the foil so they get coated in all the buttery brown sugar syrup.

Serve the packets open in shallow bowls or transfer the sweet potatoes and syrup to a serving dish. Spoon any extra glaze from the foil over the top before serving.

For families with different tastes, you can customize each packet before sealing it. For a cinnamon version, sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon over the sweet potatoes in each packet along with the brown sugar. If you like a little warmth, add a tiny pinch of ground nutmeg or ginger. To cut the sweetness slightly, mix 1 to 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice into each packet before sealing. For a maple twist, swap half of the brown sugar with real maple syrup (just drizzle it over the potatoes before closing the packets), but keep in mind the glaze will be a bit thinner. Picky eaters might prefer smaller cubes so they cook extra soft—just check a bit earlier for doneness. If you’re cooking for a crowd, you can double the recipe as long as your slow cooker is large enough to hold the packets in two layers; rotate the top and bottom packets halfway through cooking for even results. Leftovers reheat well: open the packets and warm the sweet potatoes in a covered dish in the microwave, adding a splash of water if needed to loosen the glaze.