6 Amazing Ways to Stuff a Baked Sweet Potato

6 Amazing Ways to Stuff a Baked Sweet Potato – My fail-proof method for the perfect baked sweet potato, plus SO MANY ideas for how to stuff them. Paleo, vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, and Whole30 versions below! 

I’m SUCH a big fan of using one method to create a lot of variety. I don’t feel like cooking needs to be fussy to be delicious. Sure, I love making a fancy meal for special occasions, or putting some extra effort into recipes here or there, but most of my day-to-day cooking is pretty straight-forward. I feel like mastering a few methods opens the door to dozens of variations.

Take these baked sweet potatoes for instance. We’ve capitalized on all the goodness of a well-baked sweet potato (crispy skin, soft interior) and created a pretty endless supply of meal choices. Here’s the method I use for baked sweet potatoes, plus 6 different ways to stuff them (and even MORE ideas at the end).

How to Bake a Perfect Sweet Potato:

6 Amazing Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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• Author: One Lovely Life

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This is my fail-proof method for baking the perfect sweet potato + 6 delicious ways to top them. See the notes for my suggestions (and a list of even more ideas to get you wheels turning!)

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Ingredients

• Sweet potatoes (however many you’d like to bake)
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. Wash all potatoes and prick with a fork or a knife several times each (6-8 times at least).
3. Rub each potato with a thin layer of olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt.
4. To prevent spills, I like to put my potatoes on a baking sheet. You can skip this step and put them directly on the rack if you like.
5. Bake 45-60 minutes, or until you can pierce them easily with a knife.
6. Make a slit lengthwise end-to-end across the top and fluff the inside with a fork before stuffing with your favorite toppings.

Notes

How to top them…

1. California Breakfast: Try stuffing them with scrambled (or poached or fried) eggs, bacon, tomatoes, avocado, and fresh herbs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. (You can also try mixing in sautéed papers and onions, a dollop of salsa, sausage, and more!)

2. Chili + Avocado Ranch: Try scooping chili (vegan, paleo, Whole30, whatever you please) on top and finish with a dollop of avocado ranch, fresh herbs, and more. (Add cheese, sour cream, and more if you like.)

3. Caramelized Hawaiian Ham & Pineapple: Dice 8oz ham and about 1 cup of fresh pineapple. Melt 1 Tbsp butter/olive oil/ghee in a saucepan over medium heat and add 1 Tbsp coconut or brown sugar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, gluten free tamari or coconut aminos, and 3-4 Tbsp pineapple or orange juice. As son as it comes to a bubble, add the ham and pineapple. Cook 5-7 minutes, or until it’s caramelized and the sauce has been reduced.

4. Black Beans + Chipotle: Top with black beans, avocado, tomatoes or roasted peppers, and chipotle ranch. (Whatever your favorite taco toppings are!)

5. Buffalo Chicken: Combine 1 cup chicken with 3-4 Tbsp Frank’s Red Hot sauce. Drizzle with ranch dressing (I like this paleo/vegan version), and chives.

6. BBQ Pork: Combine 1 cup pulled pork, chicken, or beef with 3-4 Tbsp of your favorite barbecue sauce. Add more sauce as desired, and top with jalapeños, peperoncinis, fresh cilantro, or chives.

Other ideas:
Sloppy Joe Filling
Peperoncini Beef
Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas
Sautéed Apples (in cinnamon and butter/ghee/vegan butter)
Italian sausage with peppers and onions

Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potato

Spicy without being too heavy, these are a fun combination of spicy and creamy.

• Toss chicken with Frank’s Red Hot sauce, then drizzle with ranch (I like this paleo or vegan version), and fresh chives.

Breakfast Stuffed Potato

Here, I take a breakfast approach by adding all my breakfast faves–some crispy smoky bacon, scrambled (or poached/fried) eggs, a little creamy avocado, tomatoes, and fresh herbs. Breakfast (or breakfast for dinner!) is served!

Pictured:

• Scrambled Eggs
• Bacon
• Diced Avocado
• Baby Tomatoes
• Fresh Herbs (cilantro, dill, or chives are nice)

Other ideas:

• Sautéed greens (I especially like spinach)
• Crumbled, cooked breakfast sausage
• Fried or poached eggs
• Grilled or sautéed peppers and onions
• A dollop of salsa

Chili Stuffed Potato

This is nothing new since chili is pretty much the most classic baked potato topping other than butter, cheese, and sour cream. Use any kind of chili you like here. Keep it meatless with a vegetarian chili (like our yummy pumpkin chili) or make it meaty with classic or sweet potato chili (it’s like sweet potato inception!).

Feel free to top that chili with your faves–sour cream or cheese are popular, or go dairy free with a dollop of our avocado ranch. It’s AMAZING.

Pictured:

• Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili
• Avocado Ranch
• Jalapenos
• Cilantro

Other ideas to try:

• Pumpkin Chili
• Classic Chili
• Sour cream, cheese
• Peperoncinis
• Finely minced onions or chives

Black Bean & Chipotle Stuffed Potato

One of my favorites! Such an inexpensive and easy meatless dinner. Use your favorite taco toppings to build an amaaaaazing potato.

Pictured:

• Black Beans
• Roasted Red Peppers
• Avocado
• Fresh Cilantro
• Chipotle Ranch Dressing

Other ideas:

• Baby tomatoes
• Jalapeños

Caramelized Hawaiian Ham & Pineapple

These are such a fun and different combination, inspired by a version Tyler Florence made. It’s the perfect blend of flavors–sweet, savory, salty, tangy, umami. So much going on and it’s so easy! 

Pictured:

• Dice 8oz ham and 1 cup fresh pineapple
• Melt 1 Tbsp butter/ghee/olive oil in a medium saute pan over medium heat.
• Add 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar), 2 Tbsp soy sauce, gluten free tamari, or coconut aminos, and 1/4 cup pineapple or orange juice.
• When the sauce is bubbling, add the ham and pineapple and cook while the sauce reduces and the ham and pineapple caramelize, about 5-7 minutes.
• Scoop into potatoes and feel free to garnish with cilantro or chives!

BBQ Pork Stuffed Sweet Potato

Smoky, a little sweet… these are brilliant. Feel free to use pulled pork, chicken, or beef and use your favorite barbecue sauce. I personally LOVE the “Sticky Sweet” Stubb’s sauce with pork, but use what you have/like!

Pictured:

• Pulled Pork
• Barbecue Sauce – I used Stubb’s
• Avocado
• Jalapeno
• Cilantro

Other ideas:

• Chicken or Beef
• Peperoncinis
• Finely minced red onions or chives

OTHER IDEAS TO TRY:

• Go sweet with some sauteed cinnamon apples
• Use beef carnitas, or cuban pork
• Peperoncini Beef
• Italian sausage wth onions and peppers
• Sloppy Joe filling

What’s YOUR favorite way to stuff a baked potato?