Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes Recipe

Twice-baked sweet potatoes have the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors. The richness of this combination really makes you feel like you’re having a splurge day, when it actually is quite healthy.

I’ve always felt that side dishes make a meal. Of course the main dish is special, but it’s the sides that really put it over the top. Truth be told, I’m perfectly happy having a bunch of really great side dishes as my main meal, but I’ve always been a huge fan of veggies.

On more than one occasion, I’ve made twice-baked sweet potatoes the star of my “side dish dinners” (if that hasn’t caught on, I think it should!) Regular old potatoes are great with everything, but making the switch to sweet potatoes at times can give you a whole slew of extra vitamins and nutrients.

Health Benefits Of Sweet Potatoes

• A serving of sweet potatoes contains about 7 grams of fiber. Health experts say that you should get 25–30 grams of fiber a day just from food intake. Sweet potatoes can make this a whole lot easier for you!
• They also contain a whopping 438% of vitamin A in just one serving! Vitamin A does all sorts of thing to help the body, such as support eye health, improve the immune system, fight cancer, and stop premature aging.¹

Ingredients

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled (or turkey bacon if you want to be even more healthy)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 scallions, sliced, and some of the green tops for garnish
• 1/4–1/2 tsp garlic powder (depending on your preference)
• Salt and ground pepper to taste
• 1 tsp olive oil

If you’re a vegan, you can just leave out the bacon.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F/205 C.
2. Wash the sweet potatoes, giving the skin a good scrub.
3. Rub the skin with a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt and then wrap each potato with foil.
4. Bake the potatoes for 1 hour and then remove from the oven and cool.
5. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them in half length-wise and scoop out the middle into a bowl; leave the skins intact and also a little of the potato to help keep the shape.
6. Mix the bacon, cheddar cheese, scallions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in the potato bowl. Divide the mixture evenly into 4 portions and then put the mixture back into the skins.
7. Bake the potato halves for an additional 20 minutes.
8. Serve when hot.

I like to serve this alongside a good grilled steak or some roasted chicken. This dish is great with just about anything and can be served with any veggies. Enjoy!