Roasted Sweet Potato with Melty Cheese (Viral Method)
A whole sweet potato baked low and slow at 300 degrees until caramelized and creamy, then stuffed with soft buttery cheese and eaten handheld. The viral 2-ingredient recipe that sold out Butterkäse nationwide.
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato (about 10 to 12 oz)
- 2 to 3 oz Butterkäse, Havarti, or Gruyère, sliced or shredded from a block
Optional toppings
- Flaky sea salt
- Hot honey
- Chili flakes
- Freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Place sweet potato directly on the rack or on a lined baking sheet.
- Bake 60 to 90 minutes until a knife slides through with zero resistance and skin looks slightly wrinkled.
- Turn off the oven. Leave the potato inside for 1 to 2 hours to cool and continue caramelizing. Do not skip this step.
- Remove from oven. The potato should be warm, not hot.
- For handheld format: tear open the top and stuff with 2 to 3 slices of cheese. Eat immediately with hands, skin and all.
- For halved format: cut lengthwise, add shredded cheese, return to oven on broil for 2 to 3 minutes until golden and bubbling. Top with flaky salt and hot honey.
Notes
Cheese: Use block cheese sliced or shredded yourself. Pre-shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting.
The rest: The 1 to 2 hour rest in the turned-off oven is Courtney Cook's most important step. Skipping it causes the cheese to fully melt and run off.
Faster method: Bake at 400 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, rest 20 minutes, add cheese. Still good, slightly less sweet.
Air fryer: 380 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes, rest 10 to 15 minutes, add cheese.
Storage: Refrigerate plain roasted potatoes up to 5 days. Re-stuff with fresh cheese after reheating.