Mexican Stuffed Sweet Potatoes | Paleo, Whole30

Sweet meets savory-spicy in this easy weeknight dish!  Tender sweet potatoes are stuffed with a Mexican-inspired ground beef skillet and garnished with all of your favorite southwest fixings for a simple but flavor filled meal.

This recipe came about very much as an accident.  I set out to make my Beef Enchilada Bake which is a staple around here.  It's a one dish meal, so super easy and great for the busy weeknight I was making it on.  

Until I went to grab the riced cauliflower out of the freezer... and had none.  Then checked for a few eggs - also none.  Major fail, but turned win.  

I left the beef enchilada mixture "skillet style", added some diced tomatoes, and scooped it over some sweet potatoes we had on hand.

Sweet potatoes are my favorite vessel for just about anything.  Breakfast sausage & gravy, apples & cinnamon, you name it.  But this combo hit the spot just right with its balance of savory-sweet-spicy, and ended up being SUCH a happy accident.

We steam ours in the microwave in a pinch, but I love them most roasted (in the recipe below) or in the Instant Pot where they get SO tender (linking that recipe HERE!)

I hope you enjoy this easy dish!  The skillet mix is so simple yet has so much flavor - and would be great served over tons of other "vessels" too.  Try white rice, cauliflower rice, or any roasted veggie of your choice!  Enjoy!

PS:  Serving it to kids?  Omit the jalapeño and skip the hot sauce garnish and you're good to go!  This is mild and a great mix to serve to little ones with some of the sweet potato flesh.

Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients:

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 red or green bell pepper, diced
• 1 jalapeño, minced (seeds removed for mild heat)
• 1 (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes
• 2 Tbsp tomato paste
• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 4 to 6 medium sweet potatoes
• garnish:  sliced avocado, chopped cilantro, hot sauce, lime wedges, drizzle of ranch

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.  Scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce each with fork to create some small holes for steam to escape.  Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes or until tender.
2. In a large skillet, cook the ground beef over medium heat until crumbled and almost browned through.  Stir in the onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño, cooking until the vegetables are just tender and beef is cooked.
3. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices, and stir.  Continue to cook until warmed through.
4. Slice the cooked sweet potatoes in half and scoop the ground beef mixture over top.  Garnish, and serve!