Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cheddar and Jalapeños are a healthy, cheesy and spicy take on traditional baked sweet potatoes. They are easy to prepare and loaded with vitamins and minerals.

Sweet potatoes are one of my dinner plate staples in the fall and winter months. When the temperatures dip and I’m not opposed to turning on the oven, I make them as a healthy and filling side dish. They are loaded with fiber and vitamin A – 438% of your daily value of vitamin A (a white potato contains a measly 1%). Sweet potatoes also bost 37% of your vitamin C, and some calcium, potassium, and iron too. And the kicker – they have around 105 calories each! If your a fan of sweet potatoes too, keep reading — your going to love this recipe for Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cheddar and Jalapeños.

Before we dive into this recipe I have to divert and talk a bit about my journey with trying to grow sweet potatoes this year. Because I make sweet potatoes so much, I attempted to grow them in my garden. It’s been quite the fail. I’ve been battling with a not so little or cute bunny. It LOVES eating the leaves on the vines. NOM NOM – MUNCH MUNCH, I’ve been left with stems and no leaves. I’ve tried deterring it by sprinkling cayenne pepper in the garden weekly which, keeps it at bay for a few days. In a few weeks, I’ll be pulling up my garden and the sweet potatoes. I’ll see what I get. I’ve got a feeling I’ve got a bunch of nothing growing. I’m formulating a plan for next year. If you have any ideas, let me know. I’m all ears.

Back to the recipe — One of the reasons I make sweet potatoes so often is they are very easy to make – scrub, pierce with a fork, bake until soft (about 45 minutes) then serve with a little salt, pepper and, of course, butter. But sometimes, I like to step up my game by making twice-baked sweet potatoes with jalapeño peppers and cheddar cheese. These are a creamy spicy twist on traditional sweet potatoes. The skin is crispy giving the smoothe filling a bit of texture.

These twice-baked sweet potatoes are very versatile – you can make these up to a few days in advance. Make as instructed, through step 16. When you are ready to serve, pop in the oven to heat through. These also reheat well and can also be made in advance, frozen and reheated.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cheddar and Jalapeños

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour

Servings 4 servings

Author delane

Ingredients

4 medium sweet potatoes
1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese shredded
1 jalapeño pepper seeded
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon milk optional
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
Scrub potatoes.
Pierce with a fork or slit with a knife several times.
Sprinkle with salt.
Cut jalapeño peppers in half and remove seeds.
Place potatoes, jalapeño, and garlic cloves on a lined baking sheet.
Bake jalapeño and garlic for 20 minutes.
Bake sweet potatoes until tender, 45-60 minutes. Cool slightly.
Dice jalapeño. Crush garlic.
Cut a hole in the top of each sweet potato. Discard tops.
Scoop out pulp, leaving a thin layer of potato in the shell.
In a bowl mash pulp.
Mix pulp with 1/4 cup of cheese, sour cream, jalapeño, garlic. Add salt and pepper to taste.
If the filling is dry, add milk. It should have a thick creamy consistency
Spoon into shells and return to pan.
Top with remaining cheddar cheese.
Bake until cheese is melted and potatoes are heated through.

Recipe Notes

For an extra kick, use pepper jack or pepper cheddar cheese.

Cooking Tips for Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cheddar and Jalapeño

Name: Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Cheddar and Jalapeños
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 60 min
Ingredients: 4 medium sweet potatoes; 1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese (shredded); 1 jalapeño pepper (seeded); 4 cloves garlic; 1/2 cup light sour cream; 1 tablespoon milk (optional); Kosher Salt; Pepper

When picking ingredients, choose potatoes that are close to equal in size.

After washing, leave the sweet potatoes a little damp and sprinkle with salt. The moisture will help the salt stick to the potato.

Cook everything on one pan that is lined. I like to use parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Use a small paring knife to cut the holes in the sweet potatoes. If the sugar from the sweet potatoes bubbled out and burnt, make that area where you cut the hole.