7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (2024)

Sweet potatoes are packed with antioxidants that have been shown to protect against certain cancers, and they’re among the richest sources of beta-carotene out there, which is good news for everything from your immune system to your gut health. Stuffed sweet potato recipes make for healthy go-to meals when we’re strapped for time. Not just because they’re healthful, but also because they’re a filling base that plays well with any number of proteins and flavor profiles.

Plus, if you have leftovers, a sweet potato is a great way to give them new life. Have some leftover chili in the fridge, but not enough for a full meal? It’ll be perfect on a sweet potato. Leftover curry? Spoon it over a sweet potato.

Aside from its sidekick role with leftovers, the sweet potato is perfectly comfortable taking center stage. We rounded up seven of our favorite recipes to highlight the versatility of this orange wonder.

Related: Sign up to receive delicious recipes, expert advice, and shopping tips in your inbox!

1. Egg-Stuffed Sweet Potato

7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (1)

Image credit: Calla’s Clean Eats

It’s amazing that we didn’t even consider egg-stuffed sweet potatoes an option before, but this super healthy, easy breakfast option is now going straight into heavy rotation. We recommend pre-baking a batch of sweet potatoes, then tossing one back in the oven with a cracked egg, which yields a low-effort breakfast (or lunch!) that couldn’t be healthier. For lunch, we’d serve it with a simple side salad or a prepared French lentil salad.

Try the recipe from Calla’s Clean Eats.

2. BBQ Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato

If you’ve ever dipped sweet potato fries in barbecue sauce, you already know this is a great pairing. Barbecue chicken has that deep, smokey-sweet flavor, so it works perfectly in a sweet potato. If you want to avoid refined sugars, there are some great unsweetened barbecue sauces out there (we’re fans of this Primal Kitchen version, or you could always make your own).

Try the recipe from Downshiftology.

3. Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Spanish Tuna and Olives

7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (3)

Image credit: Irena Macri

Gluten-free, paleo, and Whole30-friendly, these stuffed sweet potatoes are a great option for people with a wide range of dietary needs. They’re also protein-packed, thanks to the tuna filling, and incredibly flavorful. As the recipe author notes, this dish is an ideal make-ahead option: Bake a few sweet potatoes and mix up the Spanish tuna filling in advance, then combine for a super quick lunch or dinner.

Try the recipe from Irena Macri.

4. Quinoa & Red Lentil Stuffed Sweet Potato

7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (4)

Image credit: Pick Up Limes

This is one of those healthy, tasty weeknight dinners that make takeout feel like a waste of money. We’d definitely recommend making a double batch of the quinoa and red lentil filling — it makes a fantastic side dish for another meal, or can easily serve as a light lunch with a simple green salad.

Try the recipe from Pick Up Limes.

5. Turkey Taco-Inspired Stuffed Sweet Potato

7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (5)

Image credit: Cookin Canuck

This dinner is super fast, filled with healthy protein, and utilizes delicious, taco-inspired spices that appeal to even the pickiest eaters. We’d serve with some simple broccoli sauteéd with garlic and olive oil, or stay really on-theme with a Healthy Street Corn Salad or a delicious, fresh Avocado Salad.

Try the recipe from Cookin Canuck.

6. Tandoori Chickpea Stuffed Sweet Potato

7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (6)

Image credit: Rainbow Plant Life

As recipe author Nisha notes, this recipe is a really great beginners’ option if you’re unfamiliar with Indian cooking but love the flavors and want to give it a try. It’s also really quick, so it works great for busy evenings. If you have more time, consider making her vegan play on palak paneer to go with it, and we recommend making a double batch of the Tandoori chickpeas, too. They’re so crunchy and flavorful, you’ll want to snack on them all day.

Try the recipe from Rainbow Plant Life.

7. Shepherd’s Pie Stuffed Sweet Potato

7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (7)

Image credit: Brownie Bites

This is sort of an inverted shepherd’s pie: Rather than filling a pie dish and layering mashed potatoes on top, this quick weeknight variation involves simply stuffing cooked sweet potatoes with a turkey-based version of shepherd’s pie filling, then broiling. This dish would be fantastic served with some simple roasted carrots or green beans.

Try the recipe from Brownie Bites.

Read next: 10 Easy Weeknight Meals to Make After a Really Long Day

7 Stuffed Sweet Potato Recipes Perfect for Busy Weeknights (2024)

FAQs

What can I add to sweet potatoes to make it taste good? ›

Salt, Pepper, and Butter – the OG classic way of serving your sweet potatoes. Greek Yogurt and Green Onion – one of my personal favorites! you can do sour cream instead of Greek Yogurt if you prefer. Maple Syrup, Cinnamon, and Butter – ok, I'm a big fan of savory but this combo is also a favorite!

What toppings are good on a baked sweet potato? ›

topping ideas:

dollop of greek yogurt, or tzatziki. a scoop of guacamole. a drizzle of creamy avocado cilantro lime dressing.

How many sweet potatoes do I need for 7 people? ›

“A general guideline to estimating how many sweet potatoes you need when hosting friends or family for a meal is one medium sweet potato per person,” Burgess says, as if she's done this many times before.

Is it better to wrap sweet potatoes in foil when baking? ›

Wrapping sweet potatoes in foil helps in a few ways. It prevents the exterior of the tuber from drying out and overheating too quickly, which would minimize enzymatic activity; it also results in a more evenly cooked texture.

What brings out the flavor of sweet potatoes? ›

Browning butter packs in tons of flavor, without dulling the sweet potatoes. Slow-roasting the sweet potatoes activates endogenous enzymes that bring out their natural sweetness. A touch of maple syrup, butter, and a bit of chopped thyme are the only embellishments these naturally sweet sweet potatoes need.

What does stuffed sweet potatoes contain? ›

Make the filling: In a medium-small bowl, mix together the quinoa, spinach, feta, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. (I like to slightly over-season my filling so that it's flavorful amongst the whole potato.)

What makes sweet potatoes better? ›

They're high in fiber and antioxidants, which protect your body from free radical damage and promote a healthy gut and brain. They're also incredibly rich in beta carotene, which is converted to vitamin A to support good vision and your immune system.

Can you prepare sweet potatoes in advance? ›

Cutting sweet potatoes in advance is a great way to meal-prep your way to an easier weeknight dinner, but raw sweet potatoes dry out pretty quickly after they're cut. When chopping sweet potatoes in advance, make sure to store them in cold water in the refrigerator.

What is the difference between a yam and a sweet potato? ›

Are Yams and Sweet Potatoes the Same? No, yams and sweet potatoes are not the same. Yams have rough, dark brown skin that is often compared to tree bark, and their flesh is dry and starchy like a regular potato. Sweet potatoes have smooth reddish skin, softer flesh (when cooked), and a sweet flavor.

Which is better, canned sweet potatoes or fresh sweet potatoes? ›

There were significantly lower amounts of copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, silicon, and zinc in canned sweet potatoes than in fresh sweet potatoes and no significant differences in cal- cium, chloride, iron, manganese, and sodium between the fresh and canned samples.

Should you poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking? ›

Do you have to poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking? Typically holes are poked into a sweet potato to prevent a potato exploding in your oven. However, the chance of that happening is low, and according to Lifehacker, sweet potatoes will retain more flavor if you don't poke them.

Why do restaurants bake potatoes in foil? ›

Some say wrapping baked potatoes in aluminum foil helps them cook faster (aluminum conducts heat, then traps it), and it does keep them hot for longer once they come out of the oven, which is why we think restaurants use this method. Wrapping potatoes will also give you a softer, steamed skin, if that's what you like.

What's the best temperature for baking sweet potatoes? ›

A good rule of thumb for whole baked sweet potatoes: 45 minutes to 1 hour at 400 degrees F; 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes at 350 degrees F; 1 and 1/2 hours at 325 degrees F. You'll know the sweet potatoes are done by piercing the center of the sweet potato with the tip of a sharp knife; the flesh should yield easily.

How do you make sweet potatoes not taste bad? ›

So if you want a sweet, sweet potato, you have to cook it until it reaches 135–170°F (57–77°C). And you want to keep sweet potatoes in that range for as long as possible. That will maximize how sweet the potatoes taste.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dean Jakubowski Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 6124

Rating: 5 / 5 (50 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dean Jakubowski Ret

Birthday: 1996-05-10

Address: Apt. 425 4346 Santiago Islands, Shariside, AK 38830-1874

Phone: +96313309894162

Job: Legacy Sales Designer

Hobby: Baseball, Wood carving, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Lacemaking, Parkour, Drawing

Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.