Description
Delightfully creamy and flavorful twice baked sweet potatoes topped with a crunchy pecan streusel, this recipe combines comforting spices and rich cheddar cheese for a perfect side dish or vegetarian main course. The sweet potato flesh is mashed with sour cream, milk, and warm spices, then baked again with a buttery, crumbly pecan oat topping for a satisfying texture contrast.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes and Filling
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Pecan Streusel Topping
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 2 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C (400°F) to prepare for baking the sweet potatoes.
- Bake Sweet Potatoes: Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork. Rub them with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 40-45 minutes until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Cool and Scoop: Remove sweet potatoes from the oven and let them cool slightly. Cut each potato in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the flesh into a bowl, leaving a small border in the skins to hold the filling.
- Prepare Filling: Add sour cream, milk, melted butter, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper to the sweet potato flesh. Mash well until smooth and fully combined. Stir in shredded cheddar cheese thoroughly.
- Fill Potato Skins: Spoon the mashed sweet potato mixture back into the potato skins, evenly dividing the filling. Place them back on the baking sheet.
- Make Pecan Streusel: In a small bowl, combine chopped pecans, brown sugar, rolled oats, flour, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add cold cubed butter and use a pastry cutter or fingers to mix until coarse crumbs form.
- Top Potatoes: Evenly sprinkle the pecan streusel mixture over each stuffed sweet potato half, covering the filling.
- Bake Again: Return the stuffed and topped sweet potatoes to the oven and bake for an additional 15-20 minutes until the streusel is golden brown and the filling is heated through.
- Serve and Enjoy: Remove from the oven, serve warm, and enjoy these twice baked sweet potatoes with a delicious pecan streusel topping.
Notes
- You can substitute milk with a dairy-free alternative for a lactose-free version.
- Add a pinch of cayenne or smoked paprika to the filling for a subtle spicy twist.
- The pecan streusel topping can be prepared ahead and refrigerated until ready to use.
- Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the oven to retain crispness.
- For a vegan adaptation, replace sour cream and cheddar cheese with plant-based alternatives and use vegan butter for the streusel.
