1. Prepare the Sweet Potatoes (10 minutes):
* Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
* Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking dish or a large baking sheet with butter or cooking spray. You can also line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easier cleanup, though the glaze might stick less to parchment.
* Wash and peel the sweet potatoes thoroughly.
* Slice the sweet potatoes into uniform rounds, about ½-inch thick. If the potatoes are very wide, you can cut the larger rounds in half to create half-moon shapes. Uniform thickness is key for even baking.

2. Make the Brown Sugar Glaze (3 minutes):
* In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, packed brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and salt (if using). If using optional nutmeg or vanilla extract, add them here as well.
* Stir until the brown sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture is well combined.

3. Coat the Sweet Potato Slices (2 minutes):
* Place the sweet potato slices in a large mixing bowl.
* Pour the brown sugar glaze over the sweet potato slices.
* Gently toss the slices until they are all evenly coated with the glaze. If adding chopped nuts, you can toss them in at this stage too.

4. Arrange and Bake (30-40 minutes):
* Arrange the glazed sweet potato slices in a single layer in the prepared baking dish or on the baking sheet. Try not to overlap them too much, as this will prevent them from caramelizing properly (they will steam instead). If necessary, use two baking dishes/sheets.
* Pour any remaining glaze from the mixing bowl over the potatoes.
* Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork and the glaze is bubbly and caramelized.
* For even caramelization, you can carefully flip the slices halfway through the baking time (around the 15-20 minute mark) using a spatula. This also helps prevent them from sticking too much.

5. Rest and Serve (5 minutes):
* Carefully remove the baking dish/sheet from the oven. The glaze will be very hot and bubbly.
* Let the Brown Sugar Baked Sweet Potato Slices rest for about 5 minutes before serving. This allows the glaze to set slightly and cool down a bit.
* If desired, you can spoon some of the extra glaze from the bottom of the dish over the slices before serving.
* Serve warm and enjoy the sweet, buttery goodness!