Loaded Baked Sweet Potato Skins

Our favorite way to use leftover sweet potatoes is with this riff on our favorite potato skin recipe. Instead of a crispy potato exterior, the jacket of the sweet potato provides a naturally sweet and nutritious skin to cradle the standard potato skin fillings.

I don't have a particularly clever or heartwarming story behind this recipe. I had some leftover sweet potatoes from a previous meal and I wanted to use them up. Potato skins are one of my favorite appetizers, and since I don't eat white potatoes, I figured I'd substitute sweet potatoes and see how it turned out. That first batch turned out pretty well! I've been tweaking the recipe ever since and I'm happy to finally share it with you.

Prep time: 15 | Cook time: 75 | Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped bacon
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup salsa
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and pierce them with a fork.
3. Bake the sweet potatoes for 1 hour, or until they are soft.
4. Let the sweet potatoes cool for a few minutes.
5. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise.
6. Scoop out the insides of the sweet potatoes, leaving a 1/2-inch border.
7. Mash the insides of the sweet potatoes with a fork.
8. Mix in the olive oil, Parmesan cheese, bacon, green onions, sour cream, salsa, salt, and pepper.
9. Spoon the mixture into the sweet potato skins.
10. Bake the sweet potato skins for 15 minutes, or until they are heated through.

Why It Works

• Sweet potatoes are a good source of fiber and vitamins A and C.
• The skin of the sweet potato is crispy and flavorful.
• The filling is creamy and cheesy.