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An image of five sweet potato skins arranged on a gray platter, served with a side of sour cream.
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Sweet Potato Skins

These sweet potato skins are loaded with melted cheese, crumbled crispy bacon, and green onions. They are baked instead of fried making a healthy-ish version of the classic restaurant appetizer.
Course Appetizer
Cuisine American
Keyword sweet potatoes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour 25 minutes
cool the sweet potatoes 20 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 433kcal
Author Elizabeth

Ingredients

  • 4 Medium Sweet Potatoes roughly the same size and shape
  • 1 tablespoon Oil use a neural oil with a high smoke point (we used canola oil)
  • ½ teaspoon Salt or to taste (kosher or sea salt work well)
  • 4 Bacon Slices cooked until crispy and chopped or crumbled
  • 1 cup Shredded Cheddar and Monterey Jack Cheese or cheese of choice
  • 1 tablespoon Sliced Green Onions for garnish
  • Sour Cream for serving optional

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400°F

Prepare the sweet potatoes

  • Wash and scrub the sweet potatoes gently and pat dry. Prick them a few times on all sides with the tip of a sharp paring knife to vent.
  • Cut a piece of foil approximately 16-18 inches long. Wrap each potato going around a few times and fold in the ends.
  • Arrange the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet. Bake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until they are tender.
  • Test if they are done by choosing the largest one. Carefully unwrap it and insert a sharp paring knife into the thickest part. If the knife slides in and out easily without any resistance, they are done.
  • If the knife does not slide in and out easily, rewrap the test potato and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes and test again.
  • Remove the potatoes from the oven and carefully open the foil to vent. Allow them to cool.
  • When they are cool enough to handle, slice them in half, lengthwise. Use a spoon to scoop out some of the flesh leaving about ¼ to ½ inch on the bottom and all the way around. Don’t scoop out too much of the flesh so that they hold up.

Make the sweet potato skins

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (if not still on)
  • Line a baking sheet with a cooling rack. Spray it lightly with cooking spray. Arrange the skins on the cooling rack, scooped side up. Brush the inside of each piece lightly with oil. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  • Turn each piece over, lightly brush with oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
  • Bake the sweet potatoes (skin side up) for 15 minutes.
  • Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use tongs or a spatula to carefully turn them over (scooped side up). Continue baking for 20 minutes until they are slightly golden on the edges.
  • Fill each potato skin with 1-2 tablespoons of shredded cheese and about 1 teaspoon of crumbled bacon. Bake 1-2 minutes until the cheese is melted.
  • Garnish with green onions and serve with sour cream if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

When baking the sweet potatoes, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper of foil to prevent sticking and for easy clean-up. Even if you wrap the potato in foil, it can still leak.

Nutrition

Calories: 433kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 43mg | Sodium: 746mg | Potassium: 831mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 32369IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 270mg | Iron: 2mg