Description
This Holiday Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe features tender baked sweet potatoes filled with a flavorful mixture of mashed sweet potato, browned butter, pecans, crispy bacon, and shredded Colby cheese, seasoned with a blend of spices and topped with a crunchy pecan, bacon, and panko breadcrumb topping. Perfect as a festive side dish or a hearty vegetarian-friendly option when omitting bacon.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 x 300g / 10oz sweet potatoes, skin on, washed and dried
- 1/2 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
Stuffing
- 5 tbsp pecan nuts
- 200g / 7 oz streaky bacon, chopped (optional, omit for vegetarian)
- 1 1/2 cups Colby cheese, shredded
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/4 tsp cooking / kosher salt
- 2 tbsp sage leaves, finely chopped
Toppings
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
- Reserved pecans, bacon, and cheese from stuffing mixture
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C / 400°F (180°C fan forced) to get ready for baking the sweet potatoes.
- Bake Potatoes: Prick each sweet potato 15 times with a fork to allow steam to escape. Place them on a foil-lined baking tray and bake for about 75 minutes until they are soft throughout (test with a butter knife).
- Scoop Potato Flesh: Let the baked sweet potatoes cool for 10 minutes to handle safely. Cut each potato in half lengthwise, then carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving about a 0.5cm (0.2″) thick wall to hold the filling. Place the scooped flesh into a large mixing bowl.
- Prepare Stuffing: Mash the sweet potato flesh with a fork. Add the browned butter (melt 4 tbsp butter until lightly browned), 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and paprika. Stir in half of the pecans, bacon, and shredded cheese. Mix well until all ingredients are combined.
- Stuff Potatoes: Place the hollowed sweet potato halves on a paper-lined baking tray and fill each generously with the mashed potato stuffing. Sprinkle the leftover cheese on top.
- Bake Stuffed Potatoes: Bake the stuffed potatoes for 25 minutes, or until the cheese is fully melted and bubbly.
- Add Crunchy Topping: Combine the reserved pecans, bacon, and panko breadcrumbs and sprinkle this mixture evenly over the stuffed potatoes. Return to the oven and bake for an additional 3 to 4 minutes to achieve a crispy topping.
- Rest and Serve: Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving to allow flavors to settle and ensure safe serving temperature.
Notes
- To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the bacon.
- Ensure you brown the butter before adding to stuffing to intensify flavor.
- Use Colby cheese or a mild melting cheese for best results.
- Chopped sage adds a fragrant herbal note, but can be omitted if unavailable.
- Panko breadcrumbs provide a light, crunchy texture for the topping.
