It was the bacon that made you look, right? I came across this recipe in the latest Sunset magazine and thought, darn, it looks good but I guess I'll have to pass. But then I looked at the nutritional info and it didn't really sound that bad to me. Besides, sweet potatoes are so good for you. Am I fooling myself? This will be dinner tonight along with a quinoa salad, but I'm only making 2 sweet potatoes, not 4, and eating 1/2 instead of 1/4.
Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Goat Cheese
Yield: Makes at least 16 servings (serving size: 1/4 potato)
Recipe Time Total: 1 Hour, 30 Minutes
Nutritional Information
Calories 124
Calories from fat 42 %
Protein 4.7 g
Fat 5.9 g
Sat fat 2.4 g
Carbohydrate 14 g
Fiber 1.7 g
Sodium 211 mg
Cholesterol 9.8 mg
Ingredients
4 large (about 3 lbs. total) orange-fleshed sweet potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces bacon, cut into 1-in. pieces
5.5 ounces fresh goat cheese, divided
2 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Preparation
AT HOME (UP TO 1 DAY AHEAD)
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prick cut side of potatoes with a fork in a few places. Rub potatoes all over with oil and put on a baking sheet, cut side down. Roast potatoes until tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Let cool until you can handle them easily, about 15 minutes (keep oven on).
2. Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, stirring often, until very crisp, 5 to 8 minutes, depending on thickness of bacon. Drain on a paper towel. Roughly chop half the bacon.
3. Scoop sweet-potato flesh out of skins and into a bowl (reserve skins). Smash flesh with a fork until smooth. Add chopped bacon, half the goat cheese, milk, salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp. maple syrup, and stir just until blended. Spoon into reserved sweet-potato skins, dividing evenly and using all of it. Chill.
AT THE PARTY
4. Bake until potatoes are warm in the center, 15 to 20 minutes. Sprinkle tops of potatoes with un-chopped bacon, crumbles of remaining goat cheese, drizzles of remaining maple syrup, and chives.