Hot Honey Ground Beef Sweet Potato Boats (Printable version)

Roasted sweet potatoes stuffed with spicy-sweet ground beef for a nourishing weeknight meal.

# Ingredient List:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
02 - 1 small red onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 green onions, sliced

→ Meats

06 - 1 lb lean ground beef

→ Sauce & Seasoning

07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
08 - 2 tbsp hot honey
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Toppings

15 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
17 - 1/2 avocado, sliced

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes with fork and place on baking sheet. Roast 40-45 minutes until fork-tender.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper, sauté 3-4 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in garlic, cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add ground beef, breaking apart while cooking 5-7 minutes until browned and cooked through.
05 - Drain excess fat if needed. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
06 - Drizzle hot honey over meat, stir to combine and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
07 - When cool enough to handle, slice sweet potatoes lengthwise without cutting through. Gently fluff interior with fork.
08 - Stuff potatoes with beef mixture. Top with cheese to melt, then garnish with green onions, cilantro, and avocado.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks on one pan and one skillet making cleanup surprisingly minimal
  • The hot honey creates this incredible sticky glaze that makes ordinary ground beef feel restaurant special
02 -
  • Don't rush the potato roasting step, undercooked potatoes will completely ruin the texture contrast you're going for
  • The beef mixture keeps beautifully in the fridge for 3 days, so I often double it for quick lunches
03 -
  • Fluff the potato flesh really well before filling to create maximum surface area for the beef mixture to cling to
  • If your potatoes are wobbly, slice a tiny strip off the bottom so they sit flat on the plate

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