Because they cook so quickly and mash up so easily, sweet potatoes make cooking for your baby an easy task, even on a busy weeknight. Roasting sweet potatoes gives a more intense flavor, but this microwaved version cooks the spuds in one-quarter of the time.

Cook a large batch of sweet potatoes and serve the rest of your family as mashed potatoes doctored up with salt, pepper, minced garlic or a few tablespoons of prepared horseradish and finished with handfuls of chopped parsley and a dash of lemon juice to liven up the sweet potato flavor.

Total Time: 10 minutes | Prep Time: 4 minutes | Serves: 2 to 3

Ingredients:

• 1 sweet potato
  
• Pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

1. Using a vegetable peeler, remove all the peel and brown spots from the potato. Wash the peeled potato under running water.
   
2. Chop the potato into 1-inch pieces, and place them into a microwave-safe bowl. Add about 3 inches of water.
3. Cover the bowl, and microwave on high for 3 to 5 minutes or until the potato cubes are very tender and you can pierce them easily with a knife.
4. Drain the water from the potatoes and mash them with a fork or potato masher until they are the right consistency for your baby. Stir in a small pinch of salt.
5. Test the temperature of the sweet potatoes by tasting a spoonful yourself before serving them to your baby.