Are you on the hunt for the ultimate healthy, hearty, and unbelievably delicious all-in-one meal? A dinner that is packed with incredible flavor, loaded with wholesome nutrients, and so deeply satisfying it will become an instant family favorite? This amazing, from-scratch Chili Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potato is that perfect recipe. A tender, fluffy, baked sweet potato is loaded with a savory, from-scratch chili beef filling and finished with all your favorite classic toppings.
This isn’t just another sweet potato recipe; it’s your new guide to a perfect, balanced, and completely crave-worthy meal. We’ll show you the simple secrets to a perfectly cooked sweet potato and how to build a quick and easy, veggie-packed chili filling in one pan. This is a stunning, meal-prep friendly dish that proves healthy eating can be incredibly delicious and comforting.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Recipe Overview: The Ultimate Healthy All-in-One Meal
What makes this Stuffed Sweet Potato recipe so spectacularly delicious is its incredible combination of flavors and its wonderfully wholesome ingredients. This is healthy comfort food at its absolute best. The foundation of the dish is a naturally sweet and creamy baked sweet potato. This beautiful, edible “bowl” is then filled with a rich and savory, from-scratch chili beef. The secret to the deep flavor of the chili is a brilliant technique of pulsing fresh vegetables into a flavor paste, which is then sautéed to concentrate its flavor before the ground beef is added. The final, genius step is to mix some of the scooped-out sweet potato flesh back into the chili, which adds a touch of sweetness and a wonderful, creamy texture.
| Metric | Time / Level |
| Total Time | 45 minutes |
| Active Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Difficulty Level | Easy |
| Servings | 4 |
The Essential Ingredients for This Nourishing Meal
This recipe uses a handful of fresh, wholesome ingredients to create its signature savory, sweet, and smoky flavor.
- The Sweet Potato (The Perfect Base): The sweet, creamy, and nutrient-packed foundation of our dish. This recipe uses a fantastic time-saving trick of cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave, but you can also bake them in the oven for a deeper, more caramelized flavor.
- The “Secret” Veggie-Packed Chili:
- The Flavor Paste: This is a brilliant and healthy hack! A simple combination of carrots, garlic, tomato, and onion is pulsed in a food processor with vinegar and spices to create a coarse paste. This is a fantastic way to build a deep, complex flavor base and to add a ton of “hidden” vegetable nutrition to the chili.
- Lean Ground Beef: Using a lean ground beef, such as 90/10, is a great choice that provides plenty of savory, beefy flavor without making the final dish too greasy.
- The Toppings: A classic and perfect trio of chili toppings. Cool and creamy sour cream, sharp and melty shredded cheddar cheese, and the fresh, mild bite of sliced scallions.
Step-by-Step to the Perfect Stuffed Sweet Potato
This delicious meal comes together in a few simple stages.
Part 1: How to Cook the Perfect Sweet Potatoes
Method 1: The Microwave Method (Fastest!) Scrub your 4 small sweet potatoes well and pat them dry. Pierce them all over with a fork. Place them on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for about 10 minutes, rotating them halfway through, until they are completely fork-tender.
Method 2: The Oven-Baked Method (for a deeper flavor) Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub, dry, and pierce your sweet potatoes. Rub them with a little olive oil and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until the potatoes are very tender and the skins are slightly caramelized.
Once the potatoes are cooked, set them aside and keep them warm.
Part 2: Make the Savory Chili Beef Filling
Step 1: In a food processor, combine the 2 roughly chopped medium carrots, the 2 cloves of garlic, the 1 chopped plum tomato, and the 1/2 roughly chopped medium onion. Add the 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar, the 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, the 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, the 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse the mixture until it is coarsely chopped. Step 2: Heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable mixture to the hot skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is dry and fragrant. Step 3: Add 1/4 cup of water to the pan and cook, scraping up any delicious browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the water has evaporated. This will take about 1 minute. Step 4: Add the 1 pound of ground beef to the skillet. Cook, stirring and breaking the meat up into smaller chunks, for about 4 minutes, until it is browned and cooked all the way through. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Part 3: Assemble Your Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Step 1: Carefully split your warm, cooked sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to gently scoop out some of the warm flesh from the center of each potato half, leaving a sturdy border to create a “boat.” Step 2: Add the scooped-out sweet potato flesh to the skillet with the beef mixture and stir everything together to combine. Step 3: Divide the sweet potato halves among your 4 plates. Generously fill each sweet potato “boat” with the hearty beef and potato mixture. Step 4: Top each one with a generous dollop of sour cream, a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese, and a handful of sliced scallions.
Healthy Chili Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potato
A quick and easy weeknight meal, this recipe is for chili-cheese stuffed sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes are cooked quickly in the microwave until tender. While they cook, a simple chili is made by sautéing a finely chopped vegetable mixture of carrots, garlic, tomato, and onion with ground beef and spices. Some of the cooked sweet potato flesh is then mixed into the chili, and the entire mixture is generously stuffed back into the potato skins. The dish is finished with classic chili toppings like sour cream, shredded Cheddar cheese, and sliced scallions.
Ingredients
- 4 small sweet potatoes, scrubbed and washed
- 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 plum tomato, chopped
- 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound ground beef
- Sour cream, for serving
- Shredded Cheddar cheese, for serving
- 3 scallions, sliced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Pierce each sweet potato a few times with a fork. Microwave the potatoes for about 10 minutes, rotating them halfway through, until they are fork-tender. Set them aside to keep warm.
- Make the Chili Filling: While the potatoes cook, place the carrots, garlic, tomato, and onion in a food processor. Add the vinegar, cumin, oregano, cayenne, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a few grinds of black pepper. Pulse until the vegetables are coarsely chopped.
- Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes until it becomes dry.
- Add 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and cook for about 1 minute, scraping up any brown bits, until the water evaporates.
- Add the ground beef to the skillet. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring and breaking it up into smaller chunks, until the beef is browned and cooked through. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble: Split the cooked sweet potatoes in half. Scoop out some of the warm flesh from the center and add it to the beef mixture; stir to combine.
- Divide the potato halves among 4 plates and generously fill each half with the beef and potato mixture.
- Top each with sour cream, shredded Cheddar, and sliced scallions before serving.
Notes
- This is a quick weeknight meal that comes together in under 30 minutes, thanks to time-saving techniques like cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave and using a food processor for the vegetables.
- Incorporating some of the cooked sweet potato flesh back into the chili filling adds extra creaminess and flavor.
- The toppings are customizable to your preference.
The Ultimate Toppings Bar
A stuffed sweet potato is a fantastic canvas for all sorts of delicious toppings! Set out a variety of small bowls so everyone can customize their own perfect potato.
- Creamy & Cooling: The classic sour cream, or some fresh, diced avocado or guacamole.
- Cheesy: The suggested shredded cheddar, or some salty, crumbled cotija or feta cheese.
- Fresh & Zesty: A sprinkle of fresh, chopped cilantro and some bright, tangy pickled red onions.
Storage and Make-Ahead Tips
This is the absolute perfect meal-prep recipe for a week of delicious and healthy lunches or dinners!
- Make-Ahead: For a super-fast and impressive meal, you can get a head start by preparing all your components in advance. The chili beef filling can be made up to 4 days ahead of time, and the sweet potatoes can be baked ahead of time as well.
- Storage: It is best to store the cooked sweet potatoes and the chili filling in separate, airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: When you are ready to eat, simply reheat a sweet potato and a portion of the filling in the microwave or in the oven, and then assemble with your fresh toppings.
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Creative Recipe Variations
- Make it a Vegetarian or Vegan Stuffed Sweet Potato: For a delicious and hearty vegetarian version, you can simply substitute the 1 pound of ground beef with one 15-ounce can of drained and rinsed black beans or lentils. For a completely vegan version, be sure to also use your favorite brand of dairy-free sour cream and shredded cheese.
- Use a Different Ground Meat: If you’re not a fan of ground beef, this recipe is also absolutely fantastic with an equal amount of lean ground turkey or ground chicken.
- Add a Smoky Kick: For an even deeper, smokier flavor, you can add about 1 to 2 finely minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to your vegetable paste in the food processor.
Enjoy The Ultimate Healthy All-in-One Meal!
You’ve just created a truly special dish that is a perfect harmony of wholesome, fresh ingredients and delicious, satisfying flavors. This Chili Cheese Stuffed Sweet Potato is a testament to the power of a simple, from-scratch meal to be both incredibly nourishing and wonderfully comforting. It’s a rewarding and deeply satisfying recipe that is sure to become a new family favorite for busy weeknights.
We hope you enjoy every last, perfect, and delicious bite!
If you enjoyed making this recipe, please leave a comment below or share it with a friend who loves an easy and impressive meal!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What is the absolute best way to cook a sweet potato so that the inside is fluffy?
The classic oven-baking method is fantastic for creating a deep, caramelized flavor and a tender skin. However, for the absolute fastest result that still yields a wonderfully fluffy interior, the microwave method, as suggested in this recipe, is a brilliant time-saver for a weeknight.
Q2: Can I make the chili filling ahead of time for meal prep?
Yes, this is a perfect meal-prep recipe! You can prepare the entire chili beef filling and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. This makes the final assembly for a quick lunch or dinner incredibly fast.
Q3: Is this recipe spicy?
As written, this recipe has a very mild level of heat from just a 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. If you would like a spicier dish, you can add more cayenne pepper to your taste, or you can add one finely minced jalapeño to the food processor with the other vegetables.
Q4: Can I freeze the chili filling?
Yes, the chili filling freezes beautifully! Let it cool completely, and then you can store it in a freezer-safe container or a resealable bag for up to 3 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and then reheat it gently on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Q5: Can I use a different kind of potato?
You can, but a classic, orange-fleshed sweet potato has a unique, sweet flavor and a creamy texture that is really special in this recipe and pairs beautifully with the savory, spicy chili.