recipes

Savory Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes (With Cheesy Spinach Filling)

Jun 08, 2023 Admin

Whether you’re looking for an appetizer for a holiday party or a delicious side dish to serve with dinner, these savory twice-baked sweet potatoes are the perfect choice! Sweet potatoes are roasted then twice baked with a filling that has spinach, cheese, and mashed sweet potato. These savory spuds will be the hit of any meal, and pack in quite a bit of nutrition!

A baking sheet with savory twice baked sweet potatoes.

Ingredient Notes

Here’s a photo of all the ingredients you’ll need, along with selected ingredient notes:

Sweet potatoes, green onions, cream cheese, light mayo, mozzarella, parmesan, greek yogurt, spinach, oil, salt, and pepper.

Sweet potatoes – Try to grab sweet potatoes that are the same size so that they all cook evenly. I like to use 7 medium ones, but you can also use 5 or 6 larger ones if that’s what you have on hand.

Neufchatel – Also called “light cream cheese”. You can substitute softened regular cream cheese if that’s what you’ve got on hand; I just prefer using the lighter cream cheese – both from a nutrition standpoint and also because it’s easier to mix with the other ingredients.

Plain Greek yogurt – This adds a creaminess and tang to the filling – plus some extra protein!

Instructions

You’ll find the full recipe amounts and instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s a helpful overview with photos and tips.

Start with your sweet potatoes. Poke a few holds in each with a fork, then rub them with olive oil.

Sweet potatoes rubbed with oil on a baking sheet.

Toss ‘em on a baking sheet and bake for about 45-60 minutes, or until cooked through and tender inside.

The exact time will vary based on the size of the sweet potato; larger potatoes will require longer cooking times while smaller potatoes require shorter times. If you can poke a butter knife through without much resistance, the potato is cooked through.

After the sweet potatoes are done baking, let them cool for a few minutes but leave the oven on.

Meanwhile, make the filling. If you haven’t yet thawed your frozen spinach, now’s the time to do so. You can put it in the microwave for a little less time than the package calls for. Let it cool, then squeeze it out through a few layers of paper towel to get rid of excess moisture.

Combine the Neufchatel, Greek yogurt, light mayo, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.

A glass mixing bowl with cream cheese, greek yogurt, mayo, salt, and garlic powder.

Add the spinach, mozzarella, parmesan, and green onions.

A glass mixing bowl with the spinach and cheeses mixed into the other filling ingredients.

At this point, hopefully the sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle. Cut each in half and scrape out some of the sweet potato (leaving a layer of potato in each skin), placing the potato you remove into a bowl.

Take the bowl of sweet potato flesh and mash it up, then fold it into the other filling ingredients. Stir well and set aside for now.

The filling for the sweet potatoes in a glass mixing bowl.

Rub the sweet potato skins with a little olive oil and pop ‘em back in the oven for 5 minutes.

Sweet potatoes on a baking sheet after some of the flesh has been removed.

Remove the pan again, and now load up each sweet potato with the filling mixture. Place them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until the filling is warm and the cheese is melty.

Dig in and enjoy!

Two savory twice baked sweet potatoes on a white plate, garnished with green onions.

Recipe FAQ

Here are some common questions that may come up as you’re preparing this recipe:

How should you store twice-baked sweet potatoes?

Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven until warm.

Can you freeze twice-baked sweet potatoes?

Yes. Wait for the twice-baked sweet potatoes to cool, then place in an airtight container. Bake directly from frozen. You’ll need to add about 15-20 minutes of extra baking time to account for them being frozen.

Can you add meat to the filling for stuffed sweet potatoes?

Sure! If you’d like, feel free to add some cooked chicken or white fish to the filling. This can help increase the protein content if you’d like to eat these for a meal, rather than a side dish or app.

Can you microwave the sweet potatoes instead of baking them?

If you want to speed up the recipe, you can microwave the sweet potatoes for the initial cooking, instead of baking them. The remainder of the recipe should be completed in the oven though.

Nutrition Benefits

As a dietitian, I love these savory twice-baked sweet potatoes for active folks. It packs in healthy carbs to fuel your fitness, and contains a variety of vitamins and minerals including…

Vitamin A – One serving has 97% of your daily Vitamin A needs, key for eye health.

Vitamin C – This vitamin is essential for tissue health and supporting your immune system, and a serving provides 18% of your daily needs.

Calcium – Key for bone health, you’ll get 10% of your daily needs in this side dish.

Potassium – This electrolyte is involved in muscle contractions as well as blood pressure regulation. One serving provides 10% of your daily needs.

Magnesium – From energy production to muscle contractions to exercise recovery, magnesium is key for runners and other active folks. You’ll get 9% of your daily needs in this side dish.

More Sweet Potato Recipes

If you love sweet potatoes, you’ll love one of these other tasty recipes:

I hope you enjoy these spinach stuffed sweet potatoes! And while I usually serve these as an app or a side, you could also totally just eat a few as a meal. 😉 If you get a chance to try them, feel free to leave a recipe rating or comment below.