One of the easiest ways to cook sweet potatoes is to bake them in the oven. There's no need to wrap them individually in foil, either. The whole potatoes bake perfectly fine laying on a piece of foil for a super easy side dish. After baking, butter is added to the sweet potatoes and they're seasoned. You can choose to go simple with salt and pepper, savory with paprika, or top with cinnamon sugar for a sweetly-spiced flavor. The options don't stop therethere are more ways you can dress up this easy side dish so it suits any family dinner. Unlike white potatoes, sweet potatoes are firm and somewhat grainy. They're closer in texture to butternut squash or a turnip than a white potato, which is why they take a bit longer to cook. Also, their skins can be tough and lumpy. Give them a good scrubbing to make sure the skin is clean and crisps in the oven.