Sweet Potatoes and Bacon

Make Ahead: Pop this sweet potato mixture into your slow cooker on Thanksgiving morning. It will be ready to serve as soon as everyone sits down to dinner.

Ingredients

4 pounds slender sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch-thick slices

1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

4 tablespoons butter, melted

3 tablespoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon cold water

1/2 cup loosely packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Preparation

1. Place sweet potatoes in a 5- to 6-qt. slow cooker. Stir together orange juice concentrate and next 4 igredients in a small bowl. Pour over sweet potatoes, tossing to coat.

2. Cover and cook on LOW for 5 1/2 to 6 hours or until potatoes are tender.

3. Transfer potatoes to a serving dish, using a slotted spoon. Increase slow cooker to HIGH. Whisk together cornstarch and 1 Tbsp. cold water until smooth. Whisk cornstarch mixture into cooking liquid in slow cooker. Cook, whisking constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Spoon sauce over potatoes.

4. Stir together parsley, orange zest, and garlic. Sprinkle potatoes with parsley mixture and crumbled bacon.

MAKE_AHEAD TIP

This sweet-and-salty side could not be easier to prep on Thanksgiving morning. Best part? It's made in the slow cooker, so you're saving valuable stovetop space.