Hot Honey Ground Beef Sweet Potato Boats (Print Version)

Roasted sweet potatoes filled with spicy-sweet ground beef and fresh toppings for a satisfying, nutritious weeknight meal.

# What You Need:

→ Vegetables

01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
02 - 1 small red onion, diced
03 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
04 - 1 small red bell pepper, diced
05 - 2 green onions, sliced for garnish

→ Meats

06 - 1 lb lean ground beef

→ Sauce & Seasoning

07 - 2 tbsp olive oil
08 - 2 tbsp hot honey or 2 tbsp honey mixed with 1/2–1 tsp hot sauce
09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
11 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
12 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
13 - 1/2 tsp salt
14 - 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

→ Toppings

15 - 1/2 cup reduced-fat shredded cheese, optional
16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
17 - 1/2 avocado, sliced

# How to Prepare:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with fork. Place on baking sheet and roast 40–45 minutes until fork-tender.
02 - While potatoes bake, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; sauté 3–4 minutes until softened.
03 - Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
04 - Add ground beef to skillet. Cook, breaking up meat, until browned and cooked through, about 5–7 minutes. Drain excess fat if needed.
05 - Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 2 minutes.
06 - Drizzle hot honey over meat mixture. Stir to combine and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
07 - When cool enough to handle, slice sweet potatoes lengthwise down center without cutting through completely. Gently fluff inside with fork.
08 - Fill each sweet potato with hot honey beef mixture. Top with cheese if using; let melt 2 minutes. Garnish with green onions, cilantro, and avocado.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The spicy-sweet combination of hot honey with savory beef creates an addictive flavor profile you will crave weekly
  • Everything cooks on one sheet pan and one skillet, making cleanup surprisingly manageable
  • Sweet potatoes become creamy and custard-like when roasted, creating the perfect vessel for bold, seasoned meat
02 -
  • Pierce the sweet potatoes deeply before roasting or they might burst in your oven, creating a frustrating mess
  • The beef mixture can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
  • Resist the urge to overfill the sweet potatoes or they will become impossible to eat neatly
03 -
  • Rub the sweet potato skins with a little olive oil and salt before roasting for extra flavor
  • Let the beef mixture cool slightly before filling so the sweet potatoes do not continue cooking

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