Friday, November 9, 2018

Loaded Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes – A Savory Delete of the Sometimes Too Sweet

They say your greatest strength is also your biggest weakness, which certainly is true when it comes to sweet potatoes.  The starchy sweetness that makes this tuber such a popular holiday side dish, is also its fatal flaw, since, for me at least, it quickly leads to palate fatigue. After a few bites of mashed sweet potatoes, or sweet potato casserole, I’m pretty much over the experience, and I’m reaching for the cranberry sauce to reset my tongue, but here we’ve mixed in a few ingredients specifically selected to cut that sweetness, and push this much closer to the savory side of town.

Lime, jalapeño, and sharp cheddar may seem like odd choices here, but paired with the green onions, and bacon, they work wonders, and I had no problem finishing a whole sweet potato. And by whole, I mean two. By the way, these orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are often sold as “yams,” but they’re not, in case that ever comes up in conversation.

Besides all the obvious reasons, this is a great choice for your Thanksgiving table, since you can prep it ahead of time, and then bake them when you’re ready to serve.  They will also stay hot for quite a while, which is another reason they’re nice around the holidays, when oven space can be limited. So, whether you make these for a special occasion, or some completely un-special weeknight meal, I really do hope you get give these loaded, twice-baked sweet potatoes a try soon. Enjoy


Ingredients for 4 portions:
4 orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
8 ounces bacon, sliced
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup diced jalapeno
1/2 cup grated sharp white cheddar cheese, plus a little bit for the top
2 tablespoons crème fraiche, or sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
salt, freshly ground black pepper, and cayenne to taste
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24 comments:

Brenda said...

I never buy these, because like Chef, I find them too sweet.i am however going to try this recipe,

Unknown said...

Any ideas for a casserole version? I have two Thanksgiving potluck events coming up, and I would like to contribute, but whole sweet potatoes would be impractical. I'm thinking about chunking them up and spreading the mix over the top. Any advice?

Justin said...

A Savory 'Delete' of the Sometimes too sweet? I think that should be delight, or I missed the pun.

Kennapop3 said...

So much time until Thanksgiving and it's leftovers that I know I will cook this. Halloween's Pig In a Pumpkin was a real success!

JAMMIN said...

Looks awesome, but what’s a good entree to pair this too? Pork chops?

serenity.blake said...

I saw the video and had to try this! It turned out really good!

The Captain said...

Way to go Chef John! This was FANTASTIC! Everything about it was good! I am going to make it again because it's that good.

Lynn said...

I made these last night and everyone loved them! We will be serving this at Thanksgiving, thank you!

Tom Stanley said...

I poked some holes in with a fork and mine exploded anyway! Must have to do with the thickness of the skin or density/ water content of the potato? #spitefulyams

Smjaraz said...

Chef John, you are amazing! I hate sweet potatoes but they have so much healthy qualities so I always give them another try. This recipe is amazing! The jalapeño and bacon definitely changed the flavor profile, not too sweet! :)

Dustin said...

These looked so good, I went ahead and made them the same day you posted the video! I was so excited with how the mash turned out, that I completely forgot to add the lime juice...but they were still delicious!

Our Friendsgiving is coming up this weekend, and rather than make such a large side dish, I was wanting to know how many eggs/flour/etc. you might add to the mash mixture if I wanted to serve these as pan-fried potato cakes?

ListsForAll.com said...

I have had twice baked potatoes before and loved them. I can't wait to give the "loaded" a try! Thanks so much for sharing.

Vancouverite said...

here is a food wish for you Chef John, Make a recipe that uses black garlic!

Robin said...

I actually grew sweet potatoes in my garden this year; 2 plants equalled about 10 pounds! Your recipe is just what I needed! Was wondering if you would consider a post/video on how to make Kouign-Amann?

Niall said...

Thank you for your great recipes Chef John. Haven't seen you post in a while - are you ok?

ctc said...

Chef John - can I make these a few days and reheat - what would you suggest is the best way to reheat?

BillofRights said...

This is so right on time for me. I always look for great and new Thanksgiving Day sweet potato recipes, the old old standby being good but boring. This one reads like a winner to try on my guinea pig family! Ty, Chef John and hope you and yours have a fun one (you cooking maybe?)

davidchop said...

No posts in the two weeks run-up to Thanksgiving?

Starting to get worried about you bud. Hope everything's ok.

Unknown said...

Wow no comments? Ive made these twice and just saw them last week. Absolutely love the flavors and sweet to heat ratio. Even my 9 year olds enjoy them. They like a little squirt of daisy as a condiment. Great for breakfast the next day too or lunch.

Rachael said...

These are amazing! I used turkey bacon as a sub but if you wanted to make these vegetarian and skip the meat all together they would still be amazing. I am making these for a side for Thanksgiving and I did my trial run last night...these will be on the menu from here on out. Thanks Chef John!

kartikeya khanna said...

Tips on how to do this on a grill ? In terms of cooking times and temperatures.

Geezer said...

Made this yesterday. Great recipe but way to hot for the average person. Next time I will use half as much chipotles.

Mark said...

These are incredible. I have made them twice since this recipe was posted, and it has now been added to my recipe book. My girlfriend loves sweet potatoes, but I am usually not a big fan. Now that I have this, sweet potatoes are on the menu.

I only make two potatoes, large ones, but I make the entire bacon/jalapeno mixture from the recipe. It comes out great this way.

Neen said...

I massacred the potatoes and had to finish them off in ramekins instead but we didn't mind. They were awesome!