Okay, so sweet potatoes may not be the first thing that comes to mind when you think Mexican food.
However, like most good things, nachos and sweet potatoes really are better together. And these Nacho Stuffed Sweet Potatoes will prove it to you.
I’ve always loved sweet potatoes. When I was a child, sweet potatoes found fame in my household as the only orange food I would eat. (I firmly rejected all carrots and butternut squash.) Today, I love them for being a versatile ingredient that works well in side dishes, appetizers, and even desserts.
Moreover, they happen to be a super healthy alternative to your standard white potatoes. Sweet potatoes are lower in carbs and calories than regular ones. Meanwhile, they also pack tons of vitamins A and C. These health benefits make sweet potatoes a natural potato substitute for any health conscious cook.
However, while I love sweet potatoes, I don’t always think they pull off a flawless swap in all recipes. In my most recent debate on the merits of sweet potatoes vs white potatoes (what, you don’t have those with your friends?), I argued that if you tell me we’re having potatoes, I’ll expect white potatoes. I won’t be disappointed if they’re sweet potatoes, of course. But I may feel a little deceived.
My brother happens to feel the same way. But to a much greater extreme. In fact, he contends that sweet potatoes “are not even potatoes.” Even when I’ve slipped them into dishes as quietly as possible, I can’t fool him for a second.
Imagine my amazement, then, when I made these Nacho Stuffed Sweet Potatoes for our last football party, and he did not say a thing. He just chowed down. I can’t imagine he didn’t know they were sweet potatoes. But I think the flavor combo was just so natural he couldn’t take issue.
So, if you can’t take it from me, take it from him. Sweet potatoes are not just for your Thanksgiving spread. Sure, they’re amazing all on their own, baked, roasted, in pies and casseroles, etc. But they also happen to be a really unique and delicious flavor to add to your favorite Mexican-inspired dishes.
Additionally, Mexican dishes happen to be super easy to lighten up. With all the bold flavors and spices, ingredient substitutions and reductions are almost impossible to detect.
Using a lighter, leaner ground meat is the natural first step to lightening up a Mexican-inspired dish. For this nacho stuffing, I recommend using ground turkey. If you’ve never used turkey as a beef substitute before, allow me to gush for a moment. It is the best thing you can do for your cooking. It is less greasy, less fatty, tastes just as good (better, I think) and doesn’t leave you feeling full and bloated. Especially for ground beef, turkey is an almost undetectable substitute because of all the flavors and spices.
So if you take nothing else away from this recipe, please, start swapping out beef for turkey. You’ll thank me, I promise.
But really, sweet potatoes make a surprisingly great and healthy addition to Mexican-inspired flavors. If you’re still skeptical, just give these Nacho Stuffed Sweet Potatoes a try. You’ll probably thank me for that too.
Yields: 4 servings | Serving Size: 1 stuffed potato | Calories: 320 | Total Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 86mg | Sodium: 366mg | Carbohydrates: 25g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Protein: 28g | SmartPoints: 9
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, divided
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1/4 cup low fat shredded pepper Jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Scrub potatoes, wipe dry and place on a baking sheet. Bake 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop the flesh out of the potatoes and place in a medium-sized bowl. Reserve the skins. With the back of a fork, mash the potato innardsuntil most lumps are gone. Stir in the olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon of the cumin, Divide the mashed sweet potato evenly between the potato skins. Place on a baking sheet.
- Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Lightly coat with cooking spray. Add the ground turkey and cook, breaking up into small chunks as it cooks. Once cooked through, stir in the garlic, chili powder, remaining cumin, and chili powder. Cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes.
- Change the oven temperature to broil. Spoon the turkey mixture into each sweet potato skin on top of the mashed potato fill. Top each with shredded cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted, about 1 minute. Remove from the oven and sprinkle cilantro on top. Serve and enjoy!
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