Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

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These Savory Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes are the perfect side dish for Thanksgiving or any day of the year. I stuff baked sweet potatoes with a savory filling infused with shallots, thyme, and Fontina cheese. Then I pop them back in the oven until they're puffed up and fluffy. It's a delicious and elegant side dish that's a nice change from the usual sweet potato dishes. And you can make these sweet potatoes in advance!

Twice-baked sweet potatoes on a black plate.

As a serious foodie, Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year. And although I’m a fan of the traditional Thanksgiving turkey, I’m usually more interested in the side dishes.

I love having traditional sides on my Thanksgiving table (I’ve got to have my creamy mashed potatoes). But I love trying out new dishes as well, like my Savory Naan Bread Pudding with Spinach and Caramelized Onions or Miso Roasted Rainbow Carrots.

Now I'm excited to bring you these delicious Savory Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes. This recipe is the perfect side dish for a dinner party or for your Thanksgiving table. I love them because they're a nice change from the usual sweet potato dishes, which are typically very sweet.

This dish is inspired by Ina Garten's twice-baked sweet potatoes, but with a few changes to make them healthier. To make this dish, I stuff sweet potatoes with a savory filling flavored with shallots, thyme, and Fontina cheese.

Then I bake them in the oven until they're puffed up and fluffy. It’s a delicious, sophisticated dish that’s deceptively easy to make.

Jump to:

Why You'll Love This Dish
What Are Twice-Baked Potatoes?
Doctor's Tips
Ingredients
How To Make Savory Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes
What To Serve With This Dish
Recipe FAQs
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Recipe
Reviews

Why You'll Love This Dish

So flavorful- savory herbs are a nice complement to the sweet potatoes
Perfect for the holidays- put this dish on your Thanksgiving menu!
Make-ahead- you can make this dish in advance and store it in the fridge
Packed with nutrients- sweet potatoes are nutritional superstars!

What Are Twice-Baked Potatoes?

Twice-baked potatoes are basically potato skins that are stuffed with creamy mashed potatoes and other fillings. They're called "twice baked" because they get baked in the oven twice.

The first time, the potatoes are baked in the oven until tender.

Then they're sliced in half, and the insides are scooped out. The potato flesh is mixed with other ingredients and seasonings like sour cream, cheese, bacon and chives.

The creamy potato filling is then scooped back into the potato shells. Then the potatoes take a second turn in the oven and are baked until heated through.

Twice-baked potatoes are usually made with white Idaho potatoes, but I love to use sweet potatoes. Not only do I love their sweet flavor, they’re also nutritional powerhouses.

I also love this savory sweet potato recipe because it's a nice change from the usual marshmallow and sugar-laden sweet potato dishes that are common during the holiday season. This dish is actually a savory sweet potato dish.

For my twice-baked sweet potatoes, I sauté shallots and thyme in olive oil and stir the mixture into the mashed sweet potatoes. I also add an egg, a little butter, and Fontina cheese.

Then, I scoop the sweet potato filling back into the shells and bake them in the oven. The addition of an egg helps the filling puff up into an almost soufflé-like consistency as it bakes in the oven.

Doctor's Tips

These twice-baked sweet potatoes were inspired by one of my favorite celebrity chefs, Ina Garten. However, I made a few changes to her recipe to make it healthier yet still delicious.

I use sweet potatoes instead of traditional white potatoes. Sweet potatoes have the same amount of carbohydrates as white potatoes but are full of vitamins, nutrients and antioxidants. A lot of the nutrients are in the peel, which you do eat in this dish.

I sauté my shallots and thyme in heart-healthy olive oil instead of butter. I also use a lot less butter and cheese in the sweet potato filling. Sweet potatoes have so much flavor, they don't need to have too much added to them.

I also like to use Fontina cheese instead of the Gruyere that Ina uses. I like the flavor and it also melts really well.

Doctor's Tip: Sweet potatoes are superfoods! Their rich orange color means they’re high in beta-carotene, which gets converted to Vitamin A in the body. One medium sweet potato provides more than 400% of the recommended daily intake for Vitamin A! Vitamin A is important for vision, immune health, growth and reproduction. Sweet potatoes are also rich in vitamin B6, vitamin C, potassium, fiber, and disease-fighting antioxidants!

Ingredients

Recipe Notes and Substitutions:

Sweet potatoes- use medium to large sweet potatoes (about 8 ounces each) and scrub them well
Olive oil- I use heart-healthy olive oil to sauté the shallots and thyme
Shallots- shallots are commonly used in French cooking and have a delicate, sweet flavor; you can substitute yellow onion
Thyme- I use fresh thyme in this dish but you can substitute dried
Fontina cheese- I use Fontina cheese, which I grate myself; you can substitute Gruyere cheese
Butter- I use unsalted butter
Egg- helps the filling puff up in the oven
Salt and pepper- I use kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. I also like to sprinkle a little flaky sea salt on the sweet potatoes at the end as a garnish.

How To Make Savory Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Steps 1 and 2 for twice-baked sweet potatoes.

Step 1- Place the sweet potatoes on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and pierce them a few times with a knife. Bake at 400°F until until tender, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let the potatoes cool.
Step 2- Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Carefully scoop out the flesh with a spoon, leaving a ½-inch border.

Steps 3 and 4 for Twice-baked sweet potatoes.

Step 3- Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and thyme and cook a few minutes until softened.
Step 4- Place the sweet potato flesh in a large bowl and add the shallot mixture from the skillet, melted butter, egg, grated Fontina, salt, and pepper.
Step 5- Stir well with a fork or whisk until combined.
Step 6- Spoon the filling back into the sweet potato shells and top each with a sprig of fresh thyme. Place sweet potatoes on a sheet pan and bake 20-25 minutes until puffed up and lightly browned. Serve these twice-baked sweet potatoes hot.

Twice-baked sweet potatoes on a sheet pan.

What To Serve With This Dish

These twice-baked sweet potatoes are an excellent accompaniment to my Air Fryer Turkey Tenderloin, Cuban Mojo Pork Tenderloin or Sunday Beef Stew. You can also serve a green vegetable on the side like my Perfect Air Fryer Asparagus or Air Fryer Zucchini.

You could also serve these potatoes with a salad like my Roasted Butternut Squash Salad for a light yet filling dinner.

Recipe FAQs

Can you make twice-baked sweet potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, you can make these twice-baked sweet potatoes ahead of time and store them in the refrigerator for a few days. They're perfect for Thanksgiving because you can make them ahead of time and just heat them up in the oven on the big day. You can make the entire dish in advance and store it in the fridge. Alternatively, you can just bake the sweet potatoes in advance and store them in the fridge. Then, you can assemble the dish and bake them in the oven for the second time when you're ready to serve them.

How do you reheat twice baked sweet potatoes?

I recommend reheating these twice-baked sweet potatoes in the oven so that they get nicely puffed up and golden brown. Heat them in the oven at 400°F for 20-25 minutes until heated through.

Can you eat the skin of a twice-baked sweet potato?

Yes, you can eat the skin of a twice-baked sweet potato. In fact, the skin contains many of the nutrients! Just be sure to clean and scrub the sweet potato skin well prior to cooking.