Put whole raw sweet potatoes in the pot and 2 other cheap ingredients to get a budget-friendly meal so delicious your friends will be begging for more.

This is my kind of weeknight cooking: whole raw sweet potatoes dropped straight into the slow cooker with just two other budget-friendly ingredients. No peeling, no parboiling, no fancy steps—just set it and walk away. The result is a tray of tender, caramel-edged sweet potatoes bathed in a buttery, lightly seasoned sauce that tastes far more indulgent than the cost suggests. While slow-cooked sweet potatoes aren’t tied to a single cuisine, they echo the comforting baked sweet potatoes you’ll find across the American South, with a streamlined, hands-off method that fits a busy, modern kitchen (and a tight budget).

Serve these slow cooker sweet potatoes split open and fluffed with a fork, spooning some of the buttery juices from the bottom of the pot over the top. They’re excellent alongside roast chicken, pork chops, or simple pan-seared tofu. For a full budget-friendly meal, add a scoop of black beans or lentils and a quick slaw or green salad. If you’re feeding friends, set out toppings like sliced scallions, plain yogurt, crumbled cheese, or hot sauce so everyone can dress their own potato. Leftovers are great chilled and sliced over grain bowls or reheated and mashed as a side.

Servings: 4

4 medium whole raw sweet potatoes, scrubbed (about 2 to 2 1/2 pounds total)

Scrub the sweet potatoes under cool running water, removing any dirt. Do not peel them. Pat dry with a clean towel so they don’t go into the slow cooker dripping wet.

Place the whole raw sweet potatoes in a single layer on the bottom of the slow cooker. If they don’t all fit flat, tuck one or two on top crosswise, but keep most of them in direct contact with the bottom of the pot for even cooking.

Scatter the pieces of salted butter evenly over and around the sweet potatoes, letting some fall down to the bottom of the pot. Sprinkle the salt over the potatoes and butter.

Cover the slow cooker with the lid. Cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours, or on HIGH for 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 hours, until the sweet potatoes are very tender when pierced all the way through with a fork or skewer. The skins may wrinkle slightly and the butter will melt into a small pool at the bottom of the pot.

Once tender, turn the slow cooker to WARM if you’re not serving immediately. To serve, use tongs to transfer each whole sweet potato to a plate or shallow bowl. Split down the center with a knife, gently squeeze the ends to open, and spoon some of the buttery, salty juices from the bottom of the slow cooker over the flesh.

Taste and add a pinch more salt to each potato if needed. Serve hot as a simple main or hearty side, passing any remaining buttery juices at the table.

For a touch of sweetness, sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of brown sugar over the potatoes along with the salt before cooking; this leans into a more classic candied-style flavor without adding extra ingredients later. To introduce gentle warmth, add 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice with the salt—this works especially well if you plan to serve the potatoes with roasted meats or as part of a holiday spread. If you only have unsalted butter, use it and increase the salt slightly to taste at the end. For a lighter version, swap half the butter for a drizzle of neutral oil; you’ll keep the moisture and some richness while trimming the cost and saturated fat. If your slow cooker runs hot and you notice the bottoms darkening too quickly, tuck a small sheet of parchment under the potatoes next time to diffuse the heat. Leftovers can be cooled, peeled, and mashed with a spoonful of the cooking butter for an instant mashed sweet potato side, or sliced and pan-seared in a little oil for crispy-edged breakfast potatoes the next morning.