Protein-loaded Baked Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time: 25 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes to 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour, 25 minutes | Serves: 6
If you have been following my website for a bit, you know I love to purchase an intriguing ingredient and create a recipe that highlights it. A year or so ago my husband and I walked into Spice and Tea Exchange in Blowing Rock, NC. We walked out with so many little packets of salts and spice blends that it has been loads of fun to cook with, whether it turned into an actual recipe posted on my website or a dinner just for my husband and me to enjoy.
You are welcome to taste and smell the spices, and they have a tea bar in the back of the store where you can try their flavors of loose tea. Oh, my. It’s so fun and so delicious! I’d love to meet the brains behind their flavor profiles. Some are uniquely brilliant.
Here I have highlighted the “Honey Truffle Sea Salt.” The package describes the flavor as “…sweet, salty, and savory all at once… our Black Truffle Sea salt is mixed with granulated honey…” Even with that description, the flavor is 100 times more amazing than you’re probably imagining. This salty-honeyness is the best complement to the natural flavor of sweet potatoes. Trust me! This recipe hits every note for a “loaded sweet potato.”
The recipe is written to yield 6 servings, which results in 32 grams of protein per serving! Plus, high in Vitamin A, and 8 grams of fiber contribute toward the good nutrition of this recipe! No, it’s not “keto happy,” but if you can do some carbs, it’s full of nutrients.
The filling is enough for 6 regular-sized sweet potatoes, or 4 generous portions, mounding beautifully with cheeses atop sweet potatoes. (Have I convinced you yet to make this recipe?) Halve the recipe if needed. If you have leftover turkey mixture, it’s delicious served on its own with a spoon!
Enjoy!
Protein-packed Baked Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 6 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- kosher salt
- freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1 pound ground turkey, or ground chicken, beef, or pork
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 cup zucchini, diced
- 1/2 cup carrot, diced
- 1/2 cup shallot, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 cup cooked black beans, or chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 ounces fresh baby spinach, chopped
- 3 - 4 teaspoons Spice and Tea Exchange Honey Truffle Sea Salt, or to taste, LINK HERE, see Notes,
- 1 cup low sodium vegetable stock, or chicken stock, cold or room temperature
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 1/2 cups shredded cheese (cheddar, Fontina, sharp white cheddar, Monterey Jack, etc.)
- 2 tablespoons Italian parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Scrub the sweet potatoes and prick with a fork on all sides, about 9 to 12 times.
- Rub the potatoes with the oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper.
- Bake the sweet potatoes until a fork can easily pierce the center, about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the size of your sweet potato. Alternatively, you can bake them in an air fryer at 400 degrees F. for 35 to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the potato and the air fryer’s heating.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, heat a shallow skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the ground turkey, breaking it apart with a spoon. Cook the turkey until cooked through, about 7 to 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- In the same skillet over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon of the butter. Once melted, add the zucchini and carrots. Cook until the vegetables are beginning to soften, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the shallots, and cook for another 2 minutes or until beginning to soften. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the beans and spinach, stirring to wilt the spinach. Add the cooked turkey and 2 teaspoons of the Honey Truffle Sea Salt to the pan, stirring to heat through.
- While everything is warming through, dissolve the vegetable stock with the cornstarch in a small bowl or measuring cup. Add to the turkey filling. Turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil to thicken the sauce. Taste and adjust any seasonings (Honey Truffle Sea Salt and black pepper) as desired.
- If the potatoes are still baking, turn the heat down to low and keep the filling warm.
- Once the potatoes are done, remove them from the oven and place them individually on plates, or line them up on a serving platter.
- Using a sharp knife, make a deep slit, longways down the center of each sweet potato. Using 2 forks, pull the slit opening to expose the flesh. Using a fork, “fluff” the flesh inside. Add about ½ tablespoon of butter (or as much as preferred) to each potato.
- Evenly divide the turkey filling onto each sweet potato. Top evenly with cheese and parsley.
- Serve warm.
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