Slow Cooker Sweet Potato and Apple Deliciousness ~ Gluten/Dairy/Egg-Free and Paleo Friendly

Let me start by saying that I still don't know the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. So I'm just going to tell you to get the orange one. Whichever one that happens to be at your local grocery store. Once you've done that, you can start making one of the most delicious and simple dishes I've had in a long time. I frequently eat it for breakfast but I am taking it to my parents' house for Thanksgiving as a side dish. It is very versatile since it has both sweet and savory elements. This is not a traditional dessert-y sweet potato casserole dish. No marshmallows or butter on this baby! There is no added sugar, just the natural flavors of the ingredients, heightened by the yummy goodness that is bacon :)

Ingredients:
3 mediumish sweet potatoes (or yams)

4 mediumish granny smith apples

1ish package of bacon I use Applegate Farms Uncured Sunday Bacon since I try to avoid the nitrates/nitrites. I just found out that Hormel also makes one without preservatives in their Natural Choice line.

Half of a largish sweet yellow onion

Instructions:
Chop the bacon and set aside. Chop the onion and set aside (how finely you chop it is really a matter of personal preference). Peel and then cube the sweet potatoes and apples. Set them aside separately. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium-high heat until you've rendered out the fat and the bacon is nice and crispy-brown. Remove the bacon and place on a paper towel covered plate. Pour the bacon fat into a heat-safe bowl.

Pour a couple of tablespoons of that bacon fat you set aside into a new pan. I use a large, high sided pan. If you are using non-stick pans you can always reduce the amount of fat you use to cook the onions. If you are trying to lose weight, this could cut down on the calories and fat in the recipe substantially. I've heard the Scanpan line is really good (and Chef's Catalog has quick shipping). Hint-hint Santa Clause :) 

Cook the onion in the bacon fat until it is translucent and soft. Put the onions in a slow cooker or a dutch oven. Put the sweet potatoes in the pan you just cooked the onion in (you might need to add a little more bacon fat) and brown them. You don't need to cook them through, just get a little of the flavor of the bacon and that nice golden color they'll get from hitting the hot pan. You might need to do this in batches to be sure the sweet potatoes are just getting browned and not steaming in the pan. Put all of the sweet potatoes in the slow cooker. You can throw the apples into the pan with a little of the bacon fat or not. You have enough of the bacon-y taste with all of the other elements that it doesn't really need that step. And again, it can save a bit of calories and fat if you put the apples straight into the slow cooker. Add the bacon with the rest of the ingredients. Finely grate some orange zest (about half an orange) and mix together until all of the ingredients are evenly combined. The orange zest is an important element so don't skip it! Cook in the slow cooker on low for about an hour. This makes a very large batch but it will keep well in the fridge in a sealed container.

Enjoy! Please comment and let me know how you like it :)