024 / 75 · Good Dinner after Training
Beef and Mushroom Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
2 stuffed sweet potatoes; 1 whole potato per serving · Active 20 min · Cook 55 min · Total 1 hr 10 min
Print recipe · PDFA baked sweet potato makes an edible base for a savory beef and mushroom filling. Its soft orange flesh balances the browned meat without needing a heavy sauce. The full method includes baking the potatoes from raw; it is not a fifteen-minute dinner unless they have been prepared ahead. Cook the filling while the potatoes bake, then split each potato and pile the meat mixture into the center.
Give the potato its real baking time
Choose two medium-large sweet potatoes of similar thickness. A broad potato takes longer to soften through its center than a long narrow one of the same weight. Pierce the skins and bake on a tray until a knife slides through without resistance, usually forty-five to fifty-five minutes. Do not wrap them in foil for this recipe. The exposed skin dries slightly and provides useful structure beneath the filling. If planning ahead, cool baked potatoes promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate them rather than leaving them overnight in a switched-off oven.
Brown the mushrooms before the beef joins
Finely chopped mushrooms blend into the filling but still need time to release moisture. Cook them with the onion until the pan looks mostly dry, then add the ground beef. Break the meat into small pieces and let it brown before adding the tomato paste and broth. The final filling should be moist enough to spoon but not swimming in liquid. A little grated cheddar melts from the heat after assembly. It belongs to the measured recipe, rather than appearing as an unlimited topping at the end.
Ingredients
- 2 medium-large sweet potatoes, scrubbed (600 g total edible skin and flesh)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil (10 ml)
- 1 small onion, finely diced (80 g)
- 8 oz cremini mushrooms, finely chopped (225 g)
- 12 oz 90%-lean ground beef (340 g)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (16 g)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (2 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)
- 1/3 cup reduced-sodium beef broth (80 ml)
- 1/3 cup shredded cheddar (40 g)
- 1 scallion, finely sliced (15 g)
Set out
Rimmed baking sheet, 12-inch/30 cm skillet, Fork, Spatula, Food thermometer
Allergens
Milk; check broth label for additional allergens. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat oven to 425°F/220°C. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork and put on the baking sheet. Bake uncovered for 45–55 minutes, until completely tender when pierced through the thickest part.
- About 25 minutes before the potatoes are ready, heat oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and mushrooms; cook for 8–10 minutes until softened and their liquid has evaporated.
- Add beef and cook for 5–7 minutes, breaking it into small pieces, until browned and the meat reaches 160°F/71°C. Stir in tomato paste, paprika, salt and pepper for 1 minute.
- Add broth and simmer for 3–4 minutes until the filling is moist but not soupy. Keep warm briefly until the potatoes are ready.
- Split each potato lengthwise without cutting through the bottom skin. Fluff the flesh with a fork, divide the beef mixture between them and top each with 20 g cheddar. Return to the oven for 2 minutes to melt the cheese, then finish with equal amounts of scallion.
A useful advance-prep split
The potatoes and filling can be made on different evenings. That is often more practical than doubling a crowded skillet. Store them separately, then reheat the amount needed. One whole potato and half the filling define a serving, with cheese already included in the base quantities.
A useful detail
The 70-minute total includes baking raw potatoes. If using previously baked chilled potatoes, reheat them to 165°F/74°C before filling; allow about 20–30 minutes in a 375°F/190°C oven depending on size.
Another way
- Use 340 g 93%-lean ground turkey and cook to 165°F/74°C instead of beef.
- Replace cheddar with 40 g crumbled feta, adding it after the potatoes leave the oven rather than trying to melt it.
Keep it well
Refrigerate baked potatoes and filling in shallow containers within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C. Keep at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days. Reheat all components to 165°F/74°C before assembly. Freeze beef filling separately for up to 2 months; thaw in the refrigerator.