Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe

If you love the flavor and build-your-own creativity of tacos, but are looking for a version with a bit more substance and a lot more vitamins, these stuffed sweet potatoes are most definitely the meal for you. A genius mashup of everything you love about burritos and jacket potatoes comes from recipe developer and registered dietician Kristen Carli. These sweet potatoes make the perfect lunch or even a super easy dinner — most especially for families with picky eaters. Each diner will be served a perfectly baked sweet potato they can have fun customizing with their choice of cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, beans, and green onions. Yum!

"I recommend store-bought guacamole and pico to make things easier," says Carli. And let's be honest: There's nothing better than pulling together a super easy lunch during a hectic week.

While Carli does offer a list of possible toppings, don't let the suggestions below stymie your imagination. "There are so many options with these," she says. While in their original iteration, they're a delightful vegetarian main, Carli suggests swapping in other typical taco toppings such as seasoned beef, grilled chicken, sautéed peppers and onions, or even a crunchy tortilla chip topping.

To make these stuffed sweet potatoes, you'll begin, of course, with the sweet potatoes themselves. According to Healthline, sweet potatoes are a super healthy meal choice, chock-full of beta-carotene, antioxidants, and fiber. In addition, they might be linked to enhanced brain, eye, and immune health. They're a filling base upon which to build your lunch.

As far as toppings are concerned, Carli suggests protein-rich canned black beans, canned corn, store-bought guacamole and pico de gallo, sour cream, green onion, and shredded cheese. A Mexican cheese blend has loads of flavor, but you could also opt for shredded cheddar, pepper jack, or a combo.

The first step of this recipe is undoubtedly the longest: baking the sweet potatoes. After preheating the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, you'll poke the sweet potatoes all over with a fork before placing them on a foil-wrapped baking sheet, which will keep it protected from any sugars that bubble out of the sweet potatoes in the hour and 15 minutes it takes for them to bake.

But, don't let the long cooking time deter you from making this recipe! Not only are these potatoes super hands-off, but they can also easily be baked in advance, according to Carli. "If you are really in a pinch, you could also poke them and zap them in a microwave for five to six minutes," she adds.

Once the sweet potatoes are cooked through and tender, it's time to cut them open to reveal the sweet orange flesh within. But, be careful! The combo of steam and sugar emerging from the freshly cooked potatoes is a recipe for bad burns. We suggest letting them hang out for a bit while you assemble the other toppings. After a few minutes, you can carefully slice them open — lengthwise, like a traditional jacket potato — and then plate them.

Stuffing these sweet potatoes couldn't be easier. Simply pile each potato with beans, corn, guac, sour cream, cheese, pico, and onions, and then dig in!

If you're serving a crowd, you can make your life even easier by serving an unadorned potato to each diner. Arrange the topping choices on a "potato bar," and allow each guest to dress up their own potato according to their tastes and preferences. Difficult kids, especially, will be far more likely to eat their lunch without a fuss when they get a hand in putting on the finishing touches.