Easy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes bring the best of both worlds to any festive dinner. Not only can you choose from sweet or savory (or both!), but you get to enjoy a fluffy mash and a crisp, roasted potato skin all in one side dish. This make ahead sweet potato recipe is perfect for holiday meal prep!
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If you like twice baked potatoes, then you’re gonna love twice baked sweet potatoes. If you don’t like twice baked potatoes, you’re probably still gonna love twice baked sweet potatoes. And if you don’t like roasted sweet potatoes, well… I don’t know how you made it this many sentences in.
I’ve heard of people who don’t serve some form of starchy orange vegetable this time of year, but I certainly can’t think of anyone in my own circle who would be so… gauche.
Be it sweet potato casserole, pumpkin soup, honey roasted carrots, or roasted butternut squash, when it comes to meal-based gatherings between Halloween and New Year’s, just know I will judge you if one of those doesn’t wind up on my plate. Heck, I will judge myself.
What I love about this recipe is not just that it gives you the option of a sweet or savory side, but it gives you the ability to do both a sweet and savory side. The sweet ones are like li’l baby sweet potato casseroles, while cheese and herbs are a fun and savory alternative. I highly recommend making both to satisfy a broader spectrum of palates, including your own.
How to Make Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
No need to save the roasting and stuffing just for turkey. Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes are filled with your choice of a sweet or savory mash of roasted sweet potato. Bake them a second time for golden, crispy edges and skin. Prep them in advance to save time cooking for a group.
Part One: Bake the Sweet Potatoes
- Scrub the sweet potatoes, then pat them dry. Use a fork to poke holes in the skin, then rub with oil and wrap in foil.
- Roast in a 400°F oven for 40-45 minutes, until very tender. The internal temperature should reach at least 210°F for perfectly roasted sweet potatoes.
- Unwrap the foil, then rest at room temperature until cool enough to handle.
Part Two: Stuff and Bake ‘Em Again!
- Slice each cooled potato in half and scoop out most of the flesh, leaving some behind for structural support.
- Mash the flesh with egg, butter, and heavy cream until smooth and evenly combined.
- Add your sweet or savory mix-ins. (See the recipe card for specifics!)
- Spoon or pipe the sweet potato mixture back into the shells. (For savory potatoes, sprinkle some extra shredded cheese on top.)
- Arrange the stuffed halves on a greased baking sheet. Roast in a 400°F oven for 20 minutes, until the filling is set and edges are golden brown.
- Garnish savory potatoes with fresh rosemary and a pinch of salt; garnish sweet with the chopped pecans. Serve right away, and enjoy!
Chef’s Tips!
- Select sweet potatoes that are roughly the same size so that they’ll bake at the same rate.
- Prepare twice baked potatoes all sweet, all savory, or half-and-half – it’s a flexible recipe!
- Leave up to half an inch – but no less than a quarter inch – of the sweet potato flesh around the inside of the skin after the first bake to support the outer shell.
Can You Make Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes Ahead of Time?
To a point, yes, you absolutely can. Prep the potatoes through the stuffing step, but before the final bake. Arrange them on a baking sheet and wrap tightly with cling wrap. Store in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. If you need to save space, store in an airtight container, like stackable Tupperware containers.
When you’re ready to bake, set the oven to 400°F and allow the potatoes to come up to room temperature while the oven heats. Roast 20 minutes, until the filling is set and the edges are golden brown.
Can I Freeze Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes?
Similarly to prepping baked sweet potatoes in advance, you can freeze them up to a certain point. Follow the recipe up until after you’ve re-stuffed them, but before the second bake.
Wrap tightly with cling wrap, or store in an airtight container, and freeze your make ahead twice baked potatoes for up to 3 months.
Can The Skin Of a Twice Baked Sweet Potato Be Eaten?
You bet your sweet – or savory – patootie you can. Even though you’re using the skin as a vessel, it’s still an edible vessel, just like our buffalo chicken or taco stuffed sweet potatoes. Usually there’s at least one kid who won’t eat the skins though, so I keep extra butter and flaky sea salt on hand just in case I have to, uh, “compost” their scraps.
Did you make these twice baked sweet potatoes? I’d love to know how they turned out! Leave a comment and a rating below.
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Recipe
Sweet and Savory Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes
Print Recipe Rate this Recipe Pin RecipeRecommended Equipment
- Aluminum foil
- Glass Mixing Bowl
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 4 tsp olive oil
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp butter, softened
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
SAVORY
- 1¼ c shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp fresh rosemary, or 1 tsp dried rosemary
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground pepper
SWEET
- ¾ c chopped pecans, divided
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ½ tsp nutmeg
- ¼ tsp allspice
- ¼ tsp kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F. Scrub the sweet potatoes, then pat dry. Poke holes in the skins using the tines of a fork, then rub each potato with 1 tsp olive oil and wrap in a piece of aluminum foil. Place the potatoes onto a baking sheet, then transfer to the oven. Roast 40-45 minutes, or until the flesh is very tender and the internal temperature registers 210°F using an instant read thermometer.
- Unwrap the potatoes, then cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Slice each potato in half and scoop out the flesh; leave ¼ – ½ of flesh behind to give the skins structural support.
- Place the flesh into a mixing bowl and add the egg, butter, and heavy cream; mash using a potato masher or fork until the flesh is smooth and creamy and the mixture is evenly combined.
- Add the mix-ins. For savory sweet potatoes, fold in 1 cup cheddar cheese, thyme, rosemary, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper. For sweeter sweet potatoes, fold in ½ cup pecans, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and kosher salt.
- Spoon or pipe the sweet potatoes back into the shells. For savory only, sprinkle the stuffed sweet potatoes with the remaining shredded cheese.
- Arrange the sweet potato halves on a greased baking sheet. Roast 20 minutes, until the filling is set and the edges are golden brown. Garnish savory potatoes with fresh rosemary and a pinch of salt; garnish sweeter sweet potatoes with the remaining chopped pecans. Serve warm, right away. Enjoy!
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