"Sexy Sweets" (aka: Taco-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes)

This hearty and nutritious recipe will add a fun and healthy twist to your next Taco Tuesday. Perfectly baked sweet potatoes are sliced in half and filled with your favorite taco-bar toppings. You can meal prep this on Sunday for a perfect make-ahead healthy lunch or easy premade dinner. Now, just add your toppings!

Before we begin, let me first talk about how I came up with the name "Sexy Sweets". One Sunday afternoon, after a couple hours of doing our weekly meal prep session, my daughter, Emily, and I got a little slap happy. I was putting labels on the containers of the meals we had just made. I turned and asked her what should we call this dish? She and I rattled off many silly names, and then we landed on this one. We had a good belly laugh, and from there it just stuck. "Sexy Sweets" it is.

Have you joined in my recent obsession with sweet potatoes, yet? I guess it's not a bad thing. Sweet potatoes are inexpensive, vitamin-packed, low in calories, and a great source of fiber. And, did I mention they are crazy delicious? I actually created a new category just for sweet potatoes dishes. So, if you are as obsessed as much as I am, please check it out.

For this dish, I start by baking 3 large sweet potatoes in the oven. Wash them good! You'll want to scrub the skins lightly to get rid of any dirt. Poke some holes with a fork in each potato and place them on a foil or parchment lined baking tray. Bake at 425 degrees for about 45-50 minutes. Let them cool then slice them in half. Set aside.

When the potatoes are halfway through their baking time, start browning your meat. I used lean ground beef but you can also use ground turkey or ground chicken. Once the meat is browned and crumbled, drain off any fat and then add your spice blend. You can use my homemade gluten-free version (included below) or you can use a store-bought taco seasoning packet. Stir to combine then add in 2/3 cup of water, 2 tablespoons tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Allow the sauce to thicken for about 5-7 minutes. Remove it from the heat.

When you are ready to assemble, place one sweet potato half on your plate. Spread it with butter (I use Earth Balance Buttery Spread Original) and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned ground meat to the top of the potato. Now for the fun part. Bring on the toppings!

I love to serve this with my Grilled Corn and Poblano Lime Rice (pictured), my Freezer Friendly Guacamole and my Classic Margaritas. Because everything is better with a margarita. Am I right?

This recipe makes 6 servings.

To make this a meal prep meal, place one sweet potato half in each of the 6 reusable, microwave-safe containers. Top the sweet potatoes with the seasoned meat mixture, dividing evenly. Store toppings separately in small containers or zipper sandwich bags. Add your toppings after reheating. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Let’s get cooking!

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Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes

• 1 pound ground lean ground beef, turkey or chicken

• A few drizzles of olive oil for browning the meat

• 1 taco seasoning packet or my Gluten-free Taco Spice Blend (recipe below)

• 2/3 cup of water

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste (I prefer Cento Double Concentrated Tomato Paste)

• 1 teaspoon salt

• Freshly ground pepper

Gluten-free Taco Spice Blend

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon coriander

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

Suggested toppings

• Shredded cheese (I use dairy free)

• Canned black beans, drained and rinsed

• Fresh tomatoes, diced

• Shredded lettuce

• Freezer Guacamole

• Bitchin' Sauce (I love the Chipotle and the Cilantro Chili flavors)

• Sour cream (I use Kite Hill Sour Cream Alternative)

• Sliced black olives

• Lime wedges

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How to make:

1. Bake 3 large sweet potatoes according to my instructions above or use your usual method for baking.

2. When the potatoes are halfway through their baking time, place your ground meat in a skillet with a few drizzles of olive oil.

3. Cook until the meat is completely browned and crumbled. Drain any fat.

4. Add my Gluten-Free Taco Spice blend or a store-bought taco seasoning packet to the browned meat.

5. Add 2/3 cup of water and 2 tablespoons of tomato paste. Stir well and then add 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper to taste.

6. Allow the meat and spice blend to cook until sauce starts to thicken. This should take about 5 to 7 minutes.

7. Remove the meat mixture from the heat.

8. To assemble: Spread butter on warm sweet potato half. Top with seasoned meat mixture and then add toppings as desired.

9. Enjoy!

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