Hot Honey Ground Beef Sweet Potato Boats (Print Version)

Roasted sweet potatoes loaded with spicy-sweet seasoned beef for a nourishing family dinner.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
02 - 1 small red onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 green onions, sliced for garnish

→ Meats

06 - 1 pound lean ground beef

→ Sauce & Seasoning

07 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
08 - 2 tablespoons hot honey or 2 tablespoons honey mixed with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon hot sauce
09 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
10 - 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
12 - 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
13 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
14 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Toppings

15 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese
16 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
17 - 1/2 avocado, sliced

# How-To:

01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with a fork. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 40 to 45 minutes, or until fork-tender.
02 - While the sweet potatoes are baking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion and bell pepper, sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.
03 - Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring until fragrant.
04 - Add ground beef to the skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until browned and cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain excess fat if necessary.
05 - Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black pepper. Cook for 2 minutes.
06 - Drizzle hot honey over the meat mixture. Stir to combine and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
07 - When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice lengthwise down the center without cutting all the way through. Gently fluff the inside with a fork.
08 - Fill each sweet potato with the hot honey ground beef mixture.
09 - Top with cheese if using. Let melt for 2 minutes, then garnish with green onions, cilantro, and avocado slices. Serve warm.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The hot honey creates this incredible sticky glaze that clings to every crumble of beef
  • Sweet potatoes become like little edible bowls holding all that flavor together
  • Everything cooks in about an hour but tastes like it simmered all day
02 -
  • Pierce those sweet potatoes deeply before roasting or they might burst in your oven
  • Let the meat mixture cool slightly before stuffing so the sweet potatoes dont collapse
  • Hot honey varies wildly in heat level, so taste and adjust before glazing the meat
03 -
  • Use a rimmed baking sheet for the sweet potatoes because some might caramelized sugars drip
  • Let the beef mixture sit for a few minutes off the heat so the sauce thickens

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