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Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes – with sausage and peppers

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5 from 2 reviews

  • Author: Amy Estes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 4-6 servings 1x
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Description

Delicious, hearty, and filling twice-baked sweet potatoes that are made with flavor-packed sausage and peppers. They come together easily and make the best healthy weeknight meal that the whole family will love! Gluten-free and Paleo-friendly. 

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 medium size oblong sweet potatoes – that are wider to hold the filling
  • 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Black pepper
  • 16 oz ground sausage – any type will work
  • 1 small onion, diced
  • 2–3 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 
  • 1/2 cup roasted red bell peppers – diced
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Sour cream – optional for topping
  • Chives – optional for topping

Instructions

Cook the sweet potatoes

  1. Preheat the oven to 375° F and spray a baking sheet with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Set aside. 
  2. Carefully scrub and slice the sweet potatoes lengthwise down the center of each potato.  This should give you 4 halves of sweet potatoes. You can also use 3 smaller sweet potatoes since you should have enough filling which depends on the size of the potatoes you use. 
  3. Generously brush each potato all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the potatoes face-down onto a baking sheet and place them into the oven to bake for 30-35 minutes until nice and tender.  Remove and let them cool for a few minutes. Note: this may take longer depending on the size of the potatoes you are using. 

Make the sausage and pepper filling

  1. While the potatoes are baking, you can make the insane filling.  Heat a pan to medium heat on the stovetop with a little bit of olive oil.  Add the ground sausage and cook it for 3-4 minutes, breaking it up in the pan as it cooks.  Once it is mostly cooked and browned, add in the diced onion, minced garlic, chili powder, Italian seasoning, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  Stir and let that all cook for 2-3 minutes to wake up the spices and get the veggies nice and soft. 
  2. Then stir in the diced roasted red bell peppers.  Turn off the heat and let the mixture sit in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer it to a mixing bowl. 
  3. Run a spoon around the edge of each potato half and scoop out the center leaving a rim around the potato skins.  Place the scooped-out potato into the bowl with the sausage mixture. Combine the potato and sausage mixture, mashing up the potato a little bit while you mix it. Be sure not to overmix it or you will get a gummy potato filling. 

Fill and bake the potatoes

  1. Use a spoon to carefully fill each potato skin generously with the sausage filling. 
  2. Place the filled potatoes back onto the baking sheet you cooked the potatoes on, increase the oven temperature to 400 degrees F, top each potato with some grated parmesan cheese and bake them for another 20 minutes until the edges are nice and golden and the cheese is fully melted. 

Garnish and Serve

  1. To serve, top each potato with some sour cream or plain Greek yogurt and a sprinkle of fresh chives and enjoy!

Equipment

Notes

  • Select nice ripe sweet potatoes and make sure they are bright orange in color with little to no indentations. A few brown spots are okay as long as they are light in color. For this recipe, longer, semi-wide potatoes work best to hold all of the amazing filling.
  • Brush the sweet potatoes with oil and season them with salt and pepper before you bake them so that the skin also gets some good flavor.
  • To make this recipe vegan or vegetarian use plant-based ground meat or chopped cooked black beans or mushrooms in the filling instead of the sausage. Skip the cheese or use dairy-free cheese.
  • Make these twice-baked sweet potatoes ahead of time: Roast and scoop out the potatoes, make the filling and fill the potatoes. Place them on a baking sheet or plate, cover them with plastic wrap and store them refrigerated for up to 2 days. Then remove the plastic wrap, top with the cheese, and bake for 30-35 minutes at 400 degrees F when ready to eat.
  • Storing: you can store these filled and baked sweet potatoes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. 
  • Reheating: you can reheat them in the microwave or in the oven at 350 degrees F until warmed through. 
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 45
  • Category: Healthy Dinner Ideas
  • Method: oven
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://pinchmegood.com/sausage-and-pepper-twice-baked-sweet-potatoes/