I used a recipe a couple of weeks ago to prepare sweet potatoes for a dinner at the Ronald McDonald House. My oven was not working so I needed to use my crockpot. I found this recipe and I thought they turned out well.
Crock Pot Sweet Potato Recipe from Betty Crocker:
http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/slow-cooker-sweet-potatoes-with-applesauce/1dceea16-d320-440a-96ad-45da9d12cac8
Basically, you cube up sweet potatoes and layer in the crockpot with applesauce, butter, cinnamon and sugar. I skipped the sugar, for obvious reasons. Applesauce is plenty sweet. It cooks down into soft sweet potatoes in a cinnamony sweet sauce. Great for a big group!
Now I am going to express my love for Penzey's spices. Seriously, if you have never been or shopped online, you should. Their stuff is just better than what you can get at the grocery store. Not to mention some of their blends are awesome. Like Tsardust Memories seasoning. Something about the garlic and the salt with the cinnamon. The Russians are genius! I love this stuff on sweet potatoes. http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penzeys/p-penzeysrussian.html I don't know the ratios, but you could probably blend this up on your own and it would be fine. The ingredients are as listed: salt, garlic, cinnamon, pepper, nutmeg, marjoram. Everybody has the first 5 in their spice rack. Go for it. Or order some, along with some other yummy stuff from Penzey's. They will send you a killer catalog in the mail that will tell you everything you every needed to know about each spice and gives great recipes.
So for a one dish dinner tonight, I started by slicing a pork tenderloin into medallions about 1 inch thick. I layered them in the bottom of the crockpot to make sure they were thoroughly cooked. Sprinkled with Tsardust seasoing. On top of that I layered cubed sweet potatoes, applesauce, slices of butter and more seasoning. I cooked on low for 8 hours, stirred it about halfway through. OMG, so yummy.
Another reason I dig this is it is the perfect paleo/primal recipe. Meat plus sweet potatoes plus fat (butter). Nothing complicated. My aunt commented on FB "Sounds like yummy downhome food." And she is right, it is! Nothing "weird" about it. No chemicals, preservatives, prepackaged crap. I was able to find some applesauce that was unsweetened. That took a little looking. I did have mine with some cauliflower that I had cut up. Biggest difference between my dinner and the average person's: I don't need a side of bread to go with it. When people say that my diet is "weird" or "I feel sorry for you that you have to eat that way" or "I could never do it", I get it, but then again I don't. I know that the average paleo/primal baking recipe can be kind of weird with almond flour, coconut flour, arrowroot starch or coconut milk. But, if you are capable of eating a big chunk of meat, sweet potato (with BUTTER) and veggies, then you can eat paleo. Just skip the bread basket. It isn't complicated.
Warning: I will try to write out the "official recipe" as requested, but I don't measure much while I cook, so I am going to give my best estimates.
Crockpot Pork Tenderloin & Sweet Potatoes
1 pork tenderloin (serves 3 to 4)
1 bag cubed sweet potatoes (2 large sweet potatoes)
3/4 jar of applesauce
1/2 stick of butter
1 and 1/2 Tbsp Penzey's Tsardust Memories Russian Seasoning
1. Spray or grease crockpot for easier clean-up. Please don't use those plastic liners they sell. Cooking your food for hours in plastic = who knows how many chemicals leaching out into your food? Gross.
2. Cut pork into 1" thick medallions and layer on bottom of crockpot. Okay to make a 2nd layer if you have a lot of pork.
3. Sprinkle with 1/2 of your Tsardust seasoning (or your own blend).
4. Pour 1/2 of your sweet potatoes on top. Pour about a 1/2 cup applesauce on top of that and a few pats of butter. Sprinkle with seasoning. Repeat with the sweet potatoes, applesauce, butter and seasoning.
5. Cook on low for 8 hours, or high for 4-6 depending on your situation. I stirred mine 1/2 way through because I was at home.
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