‘You Are 36—Do What You Want’: How Courtney Cook’s Viral Sweet Potato Is Changing the Way We Think About Food (Exclusive)
The surprising story behind the high school teacher whose cozy cooking videos turned her into a viral star
If you’ve spent any time on TikTok or Instagram over the last few weeks, then you’ve almost definitely seen a few folks trying out the latest viral food trend: a freshly baked sweet potato with cheese jammed in the center. Alex Guarnaschelli, the celebrity chef and Food Network star, famously shared her version of the dish, giving it a “10/10” and calling it “very comforting”. The Food Guy, Tommy Winkler, shared a video trying the combo. And while the combination sounds simple enough, it’s perhaps the woman behind the fad that has people so obsessed: Courtney Cook Bales, a high school English teacher from Georgia whose sudden fame has rocked her normal life.
Who is Courtney Cook Bales and why is she all over the internet?
The mom of four has been charming audiences with her bright smile, bubbly personality and culinary concoctions, and at 36 years old, she never could have anticipated that documenting this small corner of her life would make her a social media star.
“In my twenties, I spent a lot of time kind of wondering what people thought of me and how I would be perceived if I were to do something I wanted to do, which was share my life on social media,” she told Woman’s World in an exclusive chat. “And then I kind of thought, ‘You know what, Courtney? You are 36—do what you want to do.’ I think it’s interesting that it took me this long to get there, but I decided one day, okay, I’m doing what I want to do.”
@courtneylcook Note to self: bigger bowl next time 😆 #weetabix #teacherbreakfast #worklife #foodtok #strawberrymilk
Courtney finds joy in sharing her life online
Courtney says that as a teacher, she finds herself to be “intrinsically nosy.” “I love just kind of knowing what my other teachers are having for lunch,” she shared. “Those are people in my real life, and I’ve always just been interested, like, ‘What are you having?’ I feel like it gives a glimpse into people’s preferences, their home cooking, maybe their family recipes and just what they like.”
As for Courtney’s culinary origins, much of what she learned about food and making magic in the kitchen came from the familiar faces she would watch on TV. “I was kind of the latchkey kid that would get home off the bus, and I would flip on Food Network,” she explained, crediting folks like Rachael Ray and Ina Garten for teaching her the basics. When she got older and had access to her own kitchen in her dorm room at college, that’s when she truly began to explore cooking—and that foundation ultimately led her to today, where she shares her meals with over 2 million followers on TikTok each day.
How Courtney Cook’s sweet potato went viral on TikTok
Courtney has had a ton of her food combos and dishes take off on the platform—from her onion cups to her Sunday roasts—but perhaps her greatest contribution to the social media sphere has been her slow-roasted sweet potato stuffed with German Butterkase cheese. “I think that it all started because I’m just type B and I don’t have a food plan. I just pick up ingredients that I see at the store that look good to me. So that’s where I found myself with the sweet potato and cheese,” she explained. “I think that people like it because it’s accessible, it’s unique, it’s two ingredients. It’s not intimidating at all to make and I think that’s kind of why it went viral.”
@courtneylcook Monday: complete. #teachersoftiktok #mukbang #cheesestuffedsweetpotato #butterkase #foodtok
Where to find Butterkase cheese—Courtney Cook’s favorite
Butterkäse (pronounced booter-keh-zuh) is a semi-soft cow’s milk cheese originally from Germany and Austria, whose name literally translates to “butter cheese”. While it contains no actual butter, it is famous for its decadently creamy, smooth texture and mild, buttery flavor. While Courtney’s viral sweet potato combo might have made it fly off shelves, you can still typically find it at stores like Aldi or Whole Foods.
How Courtney Cook is changing the way people think about food
Since becoming a TikTok sensation, it’s clear that Courtney Cook Bales isn’t taking her platform for granted, and in addition to bringing a daily dose of joy to millions of lives, many have credited this creator with helping to heal their relationship with food thanks to the way she nourishes her body without any guilt. Referred to as the “adult Ms. Rachel,” Courtney says, “I just want people to feel like they’re just on FaceTime with me, or they’re just sitting at the lunch table across the teachers’ lounge from me. Whatever it is, they just feel some sort of connection and some sort of comfort.”
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