These Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are baked to perfection and then stuffed with perfectly seasoned ground beef, a light red pepper sauce, herbs, and spices.
1tbspTurkish red pepper pasteor any other red pepper paste
1tbsptomato paste
1tspdried mintor 7 mint leaves, finely chopped
¼cupfresh parsleyfinely chopped
1tbspfresh dillfinely chopped
TOMATO SAUCE:
1cupof water
2tbsptomato paste
Pinchof salt and pepper
Instructions
Cook the sweet potatoes
Cook the sweet potatoes in any of the methods mentioned below in the notes. Set aside to cool.
Cook the meat
When ready, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Drizzle in oil, and add the onions, salt, and pepper. Cook until the onions have softened. Next, add the garlic, oregano, and cumin. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 10 seconds.
Then add the ground meat, more salt, and pepper. Cook until the meat has browned and little crispy bits develop on the bottom of the pan.
Next, add the red pepper paste and tomato paste. Stir-fry until meat is coated in the pastes. Then, add the mint, parsley, dill, and 3 tbsp of water. Mix until the ingredients are well incorporated. Cook for 10 minutes, long enough to allow the flavors to develop.
Make the tomato sauce
In a mixing bowl, add the water, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Whisk until a sauce forms. Set aside. Skip this step if you are using premade tomato sauce.
Putting it all together
Pour the tomato sauce on the bottom of the baking dish. This will ensure the potatoes do not get dried out. Finally, slice the sweet potatoes in half and place each one in a baking dish. Top each potato with the meat mixture and bake in the oven at 425°F uncovered for 15 minutes—long enough for the meat to brown on top.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a serving plate, or they may fall apart.
Serve and enjoy.
Notes
For all methods of cooking sweet potatoes, make sure to wash them rigorously—getting rid of any dirt, and dry well.Microwave sweet potato. To microwave sweet potatoes, pierce the outer skin 3-4 times with a fork, place into a microwave-safe dish, and cook for 5-6 minutes, or until fork-tender.Instant pot sweet potato. To cook sweet potatoes in an instant pot, pierce around the outer skin 3-4 times with a fork. Add one cup of water to the Instant Pot. Place the steaming rack on the bottom over the water. Place the potatoes on top of the rack. Put the lid on and manually set the time to 20 minutes.Oven-baked sweet potato. To make oven-baked sweet potatoes, preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up. Rub olive oil around the skin (optional). Place on the baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes or until fork-tender.