CrockPot Baked Potatoes



Day 28.

I know! I had no idea you could bake potatoes in a crockpot either!

But I got a lovely email from Danielle --who doesn't seem to have a blog-- challenging me to try them out.

She is hosting a two-year-old birthday party and had the fabulous idea of having a potato bar for the adults.



The Ingredients:



  • Large Baking Potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
  • foil or parchment paper (optional -- nice if you are eating outside, but not necessary for cooking)


The Directions:

--wash potatoes



--let them dry, or pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels

(because if you don't and you wrap them in foil, the foil then gets a little bit rusty and the potatoes become a bit discolored. Don't ask how I know this...)

--prick a few times with a fork

--wrap in foil or parchment paper (if you want to)

--put them all inside your crockpot.

don't add water.

trust me.

they will cook.

they will not explode.

it's not weird.


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cook on low for 10 hours if you have a super old slow cooker, about 6-7 hours on low in a newer one, or high for 3-6 hours or until desired tenderness.

If you are using a Ninja, you can bake at 350 on the oven setting for about 1 hour.

Check with a fork. When the potato falls off when poked with a fork, it's done. These can stay on the "warm" or "buffet" setting for hours and hours. 

When you take the lid off, condensation will fall from it. Don't worry about it -- the potatoes will dry off again quite quickly and taste fantastic. If you'd like, you can keep the lid off while they are on warm to keep the condensation from building up.


The Verdict:

I like the neat factor of this a lot. It might be more practical to cook them in the oven and then transfer to the crockpot for keeping warm.

The potatoes taste amazing; they cook in their own juice and taste more potatoe-y than normal baked potatoes--but the color isn't the pure white color that you would expect---more of a beigey yellow.

but the neat factor is so very neat it makes me want to have a potato party.

badly.

Thank you, Danielle, for the very way cool idea and challenge!

Baked Potatoes

Baked Potatoes

Author: Stephanie O'Dea AYearofSlowCooking.com
Prep time: 1 HourCook time: 7 HourTotal time: 8 Hour

Ingredients

  • Large Baking Potatoes (Russet or Yukon Gold)
  • foil or parchment paper (optional -- nice if you are eating outside, but not necessary for cooking)

Instructions

  1. --wash potatoes
  2. --let them dry, or pat them dry with a kitchen towel or paper towels
  3. --prick a few times with a fork
  4. --wrap in foil or parchment paper (if you want to)
  5. --put them all inside your crockpot.
  6. don't add water. trust me. they will cook. they will not explode. it's not weird.
  7. cook on low for 10 hours if you have a super old slow cooker, about 6-7 hours on low in a newer one, or high for 3-6 hours or until desired tenderness.
  8. Check with a fork. When the potato falls off when poked with a fork, it's done. These can stay on the "warm" or "buffet" setting for hours and hours.
  9. When you take the lid off, condensation will fall from it. Don't worry about it -- the potatoes will dry off again quite quickly and taste fantastic.


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Posted by: Stephanie O'Dea | A Year of Slow Cooking at January 28, 2008

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What they say about this article

  1. LOVE this idea Steph! I'm going to give this one a shot...

    Thanks so much for doing this blog. I look forward to reading it every day! You make me smile...

    Enjoy your week!

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  2. This would be extremely convenient if making a baked potato bar, the toppings could be prepared before work and the potatoes would be ready when we get home...

    Or, perfect too if someone has 2 crockpots and can make the meat in the other!

    I'm definitely going to try :-)

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  3. This is cool and reminds me of Alanna at A Veggie Venture's post on slow [oven baked] potatoes.

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  4. ~M! how did you do the hyperlink in the comment post?
    I can't figure it out.
    -steph

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  5. Stephanie,

    It's not working when I try to post the directions here because Blogger automatically converts the piece of code into a hyperlink so you can't see it.

    Please e-mail me so I have your e-mail and I'll give you directions.

    ~M

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  6. M--I did try to find your email, and I couldn't. I'm sorry to be a pest! mine is crockpotlady AT gmail DOT com.
    xoxo

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  7. How freaky - I was just thinking yesterday whether it was possible to do baked potatoes in the crockpot, and then lo and behold I check your blog and the answer is here!! Are you sure you've not been reading my mind? !?! (It wouldn't take long as there's not much in there, duh!) joanne x

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  8. Anonymous1/28/2008

    This is fantastic, thanks for all of your hard work Stephanie. I'll have to update you when the party is over.

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  9. Hum....can't say that I'd try this one. LOL I'd be more likely to use the crockpot to keep them warm. NOW THERE's a good idea! Thanks Steph! Keep'em coming!

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  10. I would love to hear other suggestions for vegetables you can/would cook wrapped in foil in the crockpot. I've read that you can roast a chicken so that the skin browns if you elevate it by putting wadded-up balls of foil - and based on reviews, it looks like foil wrapped potatoes work too. However, I usually try to eat foods with a lower glycemic index than Idaho/baking/starchy potatoes. I'd guess sweet potatoes would work, and they are a favorite around here, but I'd like to hear other suggestions too.

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  11. With my fiancé's help, I think I figured out how to post directions about leaving a hyperlink.

    Here is the information:

    <a href="http://www.site.com">LinkText</a&gt

    Copy and paste that piece of code into where you want the words to go. Then, delete http://www.site.com and replace it with your link (I suggest copying and pasting your link for accuracy's sake). Then, delete "LinkText" and enter in the words you want others to see - in my case, "post on slow [oven baked] potatoes" (don't use quotation marks). I recommend using the preview function to make sure your spacing is correct before posting.

    Best of luck!

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  12. M--thank you for taking the time to spell it out for me. awfully sweet of you--and thanks to your fiance, too!
    xox
    steph

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  13. I love the neat factor, too! I also think it would be convenient to do if your oven is/will be tied up with other food.

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  14. This is cool! I can totally use this at all the baked potato dinners we do at church! Thanks so much!

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  15. An Idahoan here--and daughter-in-law of potato farmers. Giving this post a big kiss!

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  16. now that is a great idea for a superbowl party!!! and have ever one bring a topping. i love a crockpot for this because it uses half the electricity of the oven!! and i can put them in in the pot in the morning and not worry about them! yummmmmmm

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  17. This is good to know when my oven is busy baking other things.

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  18. I wanna come to your potato party!! I never would have thought you could put potatoes in the crockpot...

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  19. Anonymous1/28/2008

    Wow. That is a great idea and so simple that I could definitely want to do it. Thanks!!!

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  20. love this idea too...easy to take to a potluck or something too.

    Deby

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  21. Awesome!!! I did not know this and I intend fully on doing this soon!!!

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  22. Anonymous3/08/2008

    So I wrote a post about your idea a while ago and never got back to you to let you know what I thought...they were delicious! They were so moist and juicy, they tasted like butter! I'll be putting that recipe in the rotation. Thanks!

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  23. I came across your blog when I was searching online to see if I could bake my potatoes in the crockpot (it was warm and I didn't want to turn the oven on). I baked mine on high and they were ready in about 2 1/2 hours (they weren't very big potatoes, but I do think they were medium).
    Thanks for not only giving me something yummy to make, but a few chuckles too.

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  24. ok, so super lame of me to comment on something 6 months old, but this is AWESOME! I know its just as easy to throw the potatoes in the oven, but for me it's not so simple: see we live in las vegas where the temperatures are 120 for at least a month...and the last thing you want to do is turn on an oven, but a baked potato goes so nicely with all the meats and veggies we are grilling outside...Super cool!

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  25. Ha! I found your blog via ParentDish today and I made this exact thing for dinner last night. These are some fab potatoes and could NOT be easier.

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  26. I've been a lurker for a while now, and I am only getting around to commenting. But, I wanted to say that I loved this. It's super easy, didn't heat up the house, and I love baked potatoes with all of my heart.

    Thanks for sharing!

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  27. Anonymous7/14/2008

    This taste just like a bake potato! I have tried it also with sweet potatoes and added cinnamon, butter, brown sugar just before serving. But I had it on the crockpot for 4-5 hrs on high. It tasted just like I baked it. Thanks for the great idea!

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  28. Anonymous7/17/2008

    Thanks for this! I will try it today - it's a perfect way to bake them with out the oven - especially on a hot summer day! =)

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  29. Thank you :)

    Yesterday I put some pork loin slices and bbq sauce in one crockpot (would've been better with a roast)...and these potatoes in another.

    Like you noted, probably faster, etc with an oven....and right now we don't have a microwave....but I liked that (unlike an oven) I could get other things done and not worry about it.

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  30. A friend told me I could do this a few weeks ago, only she scrubs her, pokes them, and rubs them in butter, throws them in, (no foil) and cooks on low 6-8 hours. I did this and they turned out fine.

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  31. Yes, this is a little late but I still want to comment.

    I use this method to bake potatoes all the time. Medium potatoes fit best.

    Even though we only are feeding 4 these days, I still cram that crock full so we can use the leftover potatoes for baked potato salad, baked potato soup, homemade hash, quick hash browns and bunches of other stuff.

    As home-educators, we are home for 3 meals a day most days. Having potatoes ready to go into a quick meal saves so much money and time.

    Because this works so good for us, we usually do potatoes like this every other week even if they aren't planned for dinner.

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  32. Anonymous1/26/2009

    We bake potatoes without use of foil or water. Soak the potatoes in water first (use a little salt water and soak them overnight for the most amazing taste!). Scrub them clean (that skin is delicious so you don't want any dirt left clinging to it). Put in the crock directly (no slit, no drying) and set to low. Cook for at least 4 hours. NOTE: We stand them on their end and ring them around the crock--think "easter island" and place the small end of the potato down and put one next to it--until the entire bottom of the crock is lined with spuds--and each is holding the others upright. These are so delicious and you can spare the cost of the foil this way--as another method of cooking baked potatoes. This also comes in handy when the oven is full of other yummies and you still need spuds too.

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  33. As rare as botulism is, it must be said that foil-wrapped potatoes on low-heat are one of the more common vectors for botulism poisoning.

    I wouldn't be extremely frightened of it, but you may want to omit the foil-wrapping step for peace of mind

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  34. Anonymous2/16/2009

    So, my stove and oven are non functioning. However, my woodstove and crockpot work. Baked potato soup works so well!. I baked potatoes in my crockpot, then put sauted onion in my soup pot (on the woodstove!), added vegetable broth, cubed baked potatoes, chives and simmered until the potatoes fell apart. Some Spike, 2 oz cream cheese and a cup of grated cheddar, and it was SOOO good. Thanks for the potato information, or I wouldn't have dared and we would have missed this soup until our move was over...

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  35. I saw a comment in this post about the possibility of botulism with potatoes cooked in foil. Looked it up on the Net, I think you'd have to let them sit a long time outside of the crock for that to happen. Here's an article: http://www.personalmd.com/news/a1998062515.shtml

    The reason the foil potato is beige and not white, is because the foil results in a steamed potato. My copy of Joy of Cooking says never to put foil on potatoes while baking.

    I wondered about the crock...and found this recipe for how to do it in salt, no foil. I'm going to try it. Should be like Outback's potatoes.

    http://busycooks.about.com/od/sidedishrecipes/r/cpsaltpotatoes.htm

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  36. Linda M7/04/2009

    I wash my potatoes, poke them and rub them with olive oil. place on ends in crockpot so they are holding each other up. Sprinkle on some sea salt and bake for 4 hours. they are delicious. Works well with sweet potatoes also.

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  37. We do this at work a few times every winter. Usually it is healthy soup Friday, but sometimes, It is baked potato Friday. Fill the crock pot with potatoes, and everyone brings one topping. Ohhh... So.... Good... Always a favorite.

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  38. I am replacing my 40-yr old crockpot with a new one and as I got ready to ship it to the thrift shop I found the insert to bake potatoes with it. It's a metal can with a lid. There is an insert that may go below it. Not sure. But I remember the potatoes came out amazingly well. So I'm keeping this to try it with the new crockpot. The old one was a CrockPot brand. Anyone else have this or remember it?

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  39. KittyGram11/11/2009

    I did this for a group of about 20 a few years ago! It was a hit! Very convenient to bake them in the crock pot!

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  40. I know this is an older post- but it is so awesome! I do this all the time with potatoes and sweet potatoes.

    Sweet potatoes are great done overnight- add honey, etc for a great breakfast.

    Never go back to oven cooking baked potatoes again :)

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  41. I just made these today and they turned out FABULOUS! I am notorious for not being able to make baked potatoes. Even though I microwave or cook in the oven at the exact temp and time, my potatoes ALWAYS come out with raw, hard parts. Totally not appealing-especially after adding cheese and sour cream. So I made these today and they are by far the best baked potatoes I have ever made. They were increidly soft-I mashed up some for my 11 month old and hardly had to mash at all-they just sort of fell apart like whole mashed potatoes. The work was not a drop extra what you would have for normal baked potatoes, and depending on what your stove costs to run, baking these in the slow cooker can be quite a bit cheaper (one site said 32 cents/hr to run a gas stove vs. about 12 cents/6 hrs to bake these. Thanks a bunch!

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  42. Anonymous6/30/2010

    I make potatoes in the crock all the time. I do not use the foil. I just wash potatoes and pop them in the crock,no water, set on high for about 3 to 4 hours and they are great!

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  43. I love this site,, thank you so much for all the time you spend teaching us the crockpot tricks. Your recipes are spot on and turn out great!

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  44. Love the site! Tomorrow's dinner is the John McCann dry rub ribs and these baked potatoes! Not doing a whole lot (just 2 of us at home right at the present) so thinking I can get them both in the same crock.
    Hubby loves, loves LOVES the pepperocini beef, I've had to make it twice this month already and we've served it all kinds of ways, including with pierogies! (delish.. serving with biscuits and gravy, he liked, me, not so much, but we're experimenting!)

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  45. When I am cooking potatoes with my crock pot meal I always put them in the crock. A few times I have diced them and put a few pats of butter and a shake of seasoning on them. Wrap them with foil in a bundle. Put them right on top of whatever I am cooking. Every so often I will pull out the bundle and shake it around a little to help the butter re-coat them.

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  46. I think that I am going to be brave and try this one tonight. I would never have thought of doing it but there is a first time for everything. Thanks for the idea - I shall see how they turn out.

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  47. I am excited to try this when we go camping. I sure wouldn't want to do baked potatoes in the camper unless it would be winter! And a baked potato is always awesome with grilled steak!

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  48. Just found this from a google search today. Wanted to let you know why I wanted the info (why I would choose crock-pot over oven).
    I take my 2 yr old to a 5:30 swim class every Wednesday night, and when we get home (at about 6:30) we need to eat right away to get him to bed on time. I'm sick of having my husband pick up take-out on his way home. This sounds so much better than baking them, then reheating in the microwave!
    So I'll be doing this for the first time tonight. I'll also grill some chicken ahead of time, then microwave steam some veggies to top them with. I'm sure it will work out fine (The extras will be turned in to mashed potatoes or something useful), and I'll let you know if I have more feedback.

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  49. Anonymous4/23/2011

    I plan to bake my red potatoes for our family Resurrection celebration tomorrow. We drive 2 hours to get the house and our food has to be ready to eat on arrival. This should work! I can cook these at home, wrap them in a towel and blanket to keep them warm, then plug in the crock pot again when we get there.

    Thank you for posting this recipe. I figured it would be this easy! I just wanted to be sure that it worked!

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  50. This worked so well- GREAT success- I make 11 Crock Taters (baked potatoes made in crockpot) for co-workers that had to work on July 4th. each brought a topping for them and all I did was cooked them 20 minutes before loading them to crock, then it finished cooking them while I was at my desk. this heated the crockpot by putting the hot potatoes in there too.......Wonderful idea- Thanks Mrs. B- of NC

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  51. I pretty much only cook baked potatoes in a crockpot. They're way more tender. Everyone thinks I'm crazy--until they try them. My husband now wants them no other way. :)

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  52. I love this idea. I can make a bunch of potatoes at once and use them for all sorts of different things. Mashed, baked, awesome!

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  53. Since Christmas dinner calls for a ham and casserole in the oven, sweet potatoes in the crock pot is a wonderful solution! Thanks for the idea!

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  54. Going to do this this week! Can't wait! I think I will do them with ribs in the slow cooker! I just got a second one from my sis, so I can have 2 going at the same time! Wahoo!

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  55. I was trying to figure out timing for a meal in advance for a late work night. I really wanted baked potatoes but couldn't figure out how I could have them done cooking before I went to bed ... and ate the furniture, and reheated baked potatoes are not the same. Maybe in a crockpot I thought...

    "If it's possible, the Crockpot lady would know!"

    And sure enough you did! Thanks!

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  56. SparkBunny5/11/2012

    This week is teacher appreciation week, and at my son's daycare they are having a potluck for the teachers. Since i work from 7:30 to 6 today, i decided to make the baked potatoes last night. So i prepped everything when i got home from work yesterday (i easily fit 10 baked potatoes in my 7 qt crock pot) and turned it to low before going to bed. This morning, i unplugged it, bagged up the fixings, and dropped it off at the daycare on my way to work. Plugged it in the kitchen, turned it to warm, and it's good to go. If there are any leftovers, i'll make a twice baked potatoe casserole. Score!

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  57. I am just now finding these recipes from you and I thank you for posting them for us to enjoy.
    I was wondering if you could cook the corn on the cob at the same time as the baked potatos? I know time would have to be adjusted and don't put the corn in until the last 2 hours or so, but wasn't sure if they could be mixed in the same pot?
    Thank you.

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  58. Hi Carol,

    Absolutely! Put the corn on top--- you can take them out a bit earlier or add later if you'd like more of a crunch, but I've successfully made layered dinners quite often with corn and potatoes in the same pot for the entire cooking time.

    fun stuff!!

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  59. I was just about ready to throw out a crock pot that had a cracked liner - its still together, the unit was almost brand new and I've held on to it thinking - there's got to be something I can do with this. Since no liquid is added to the crock-potatoes this should work!

    I have done as many as 40 potatoes in the oven at one time -- (it takes no longer than baking just one!) Now - instead of doing all the scrubbing myself for a church event - I can include 3 others to do 10 each in their crocks -- more people to get the praise!

    Also - this blog has given me encouragement to try the corn on the cob the way I fix it in the microwave -- shucks and all. For just 2 of us -- 2 ears in the microwave for 8 minutes works - but for a crowd --- I think this will work! (I'll try the crock pot at home first though.) The silks pull right off of the ear when you shuck the hot ear of corn. The taste is so fabulous and never water logged!

    Thanks for leaving the post up for so long!

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  60. Thanks! I'm trying this when we go camping since the grill will be full of meat and veggies!

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  61. I learned to do this with regular potatoes when I was a Swim Mom. We'd make them for the concessions. We'd start out with 2 full crocks with cooked potatoes and as the done potatoes sold, we'd add uncooked potatoes so we'd do about 4 crocks worth of potatoes per meet (the meets go on all day.) People could put butter, sour cream, cheese and chili on their potatoes. We fed lots of hungry swimmers and parents! I love the ideas shared here -- especially making baked sweet potatoes in the slow cooker!

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  62. I have never thought of this...baked potatoes here we come. I can't wait to look at more recipes.

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  63. By the way, aluminum foil does not "get rusty" it just discolors a bit.It's not rust.

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