Easy Stuffed Sweet Potatoes Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why do you soak sweet potatoes before baking? ›

The theory is that soaking draws out starch from inside the potatoes, helping them crisp up. I've tested soaking sweet potato fries many times, and I've found that it doesn't make them much crispier, if at all.

Do you have to poke holes in sweet potatoes before baking? Typically holes are poked into a sweet potato to prevent a potato exploding in your oven. However, the chance of that happening is low, and according to Lifehacker, sweet potatoes will retain more flavor if you don't poke them.

Make the filling: In a medium-small bowl, mix together the quinoa, spinach, feta, red onion, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. (I like to slightly over-season my filling so that it's flavorful amongst the whole potato.) Chill until ready to use.

Place the sweet potato meat into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and add the orange juice, cream, butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Mix together until combined but not smooth and transfer to a baking dish. Bake the potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, until heated through.

If I'm planning to, I rub the sweet potatoes in a small amount of olive oil before baking to crisp them up and add extra flavor. After baking, let the potatoes cool slightly, split the tops open, and dot with butter that will melt from the residual heat. Season with a little salt and pepper, and you're ready to go.

There is not much difference between boiling sweet potatoes with the skins on versus peeling them, but you will get a boost of fiber and potassium if you keep the skin on. The skin also adds a subtle texture to each bite. If you're looking for a smoother mash, peel the potatoes first before boiling.

Wrapping the sweet potatoes in foil ensures that they don't dry out too quickly, and allows you to add aromatics if desired. Unwrapping the sweet potatoes and increasing the oven temperature produces charred, roasted flavors and caramelizes converted sugars.

If you'd like a more precise indicator, insert an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the sweet potato. The internal temperature of a cooked sweet potato should read between 205- and 212-degrees Fahrenheit.

Unfortunately, yes! If your sweet potatoes cook too long in the oven they can overbake and become dry. The insides will become mushy. Moving your sweet potato cubes around and checking them periodically can help avoid overcooking.

#20 Loaded Baked Sweet Potato

When we say loaded, we mean it! We top our soft baked sweet potato with Brown Sugar Cinnamon Butter, a toasted Marshmallow, Butter Pecan Syrup, and Candied Pecans. Try it with our Maple Bacon Chicken or Grilled Sirloin Steak for an amazing flavor combination.

Why do people put marshmallows in sweet potatoes? ›

Despite what your grandmother says, this cloying side dish didn't originate as a family recipe. It was concocted by Big Marshmallow as a way to push the candy on Americans. Though the tubers are high in sugar to begin with, there's historical precedent for treating sweet potatoes like dessert.

TIPS & TRICKS to Make this Recipe: The main secrets to achieving that incredible crispy texture, is to soak the cut sweet potatoes in cold water for at least 30 minutes. This helps remove the starch from the sweet potatoes so they´re not limp & soggy.

Bake, don't boil

It intensifies their flavor and creates a richer taste compared to boiling, which can result in a watered-down, bland flavor. As the oven temperature rises (when baking), the molecular structure of the sugar molecules in the sweet potatoes begins to change.

Boil the sweet potatoes in a large stockpot until soft, about 25 minutes; drain. When cool enough to handle, peel the potatoes and transfer them to a large bowl. While the potatoes are still warm, add the butter, cream, agave, cinnamon and salt, and mash until smooth. Sprinkle with the orange zest.

Give them a cold water bath: Once your fries are chopped, toss them into a large bowl. Then cover the fries completely with cold water and let them soak for at least 30 minutes (or up to overnight). This will help to rinse off the excess starch and help the potatoes crisp up beautifully in the oven.

Soaking potatoes in water helps remove excess starch. Excess starch can inhibit the potatoes from cooking evenly as well as creating a gummy or sticky texture on the outside of your potatoes. Cold water is used because hot water would react with the starch activating it, making it harder to separate from the potatoes.

The best potatoes for French fries are soaked in a sugar solution before frying. The sugar solution has something to do with the carbohydrates and prevents the potatoes from soaking up a lot of grease, so they get crunchy.

To remove excess starch, place cut sweet potatoes into cold water making sure the cut surfaces are submerged. This step is especially recommended for "kinton" (Japanese-style mashed sweet potato) and other lightly seasoned dishes where a delectable color is desired. Soaking time of about 5 minutes is sufficient.