Hot Honey Ground Beef Sweet Potato Boats (Printable version)

Tender roasted sweet potatoes loaded with hot honey seasoned beef, topped with fresh garnishes for a complete nourishing 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 + 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
16 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
17 - 1/2 avocado, sliced

# How to make it:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce sweet potatoes several times with fork. Place on baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes until fork-tender.
02 - Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add diced 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, 5-7 minutes.
05 - Drain excess fat if needed. Stir in tomato paste, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, salt, and black 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 all the way through. Gently fluff inside with fork.
08 - Fill each sweet potato with hot honey ground beef mixture. Top with cheese if using. Let melt 2 minutes, then garnish with green onions, cilantro, and avocado.

# Expert tips:

01 -
  • The hot honey creates this incredible sticky glaze that makes ordinary ground beef feel restaurant special
  • Sweet potatoes become edible vessels so you get forkfuls of creamy potato and savory beef in every bite
  • Everything roasts and simmers on its own while you pour yourself a drink and actually relax
02 -
  • Don't skip piercing the sweet potatoes before roasting or they might explode in your oven
  • Let the beef mixture cool slightly before filling the potatoes so they dont steam and get mushy
  • The hot honey thickens quickly as it cools, so work promptly when filling the boats
03 -
  • Look for sweet potatoes that are similar in size so they roast at the same rate
  • If your beef mixture seems too loose, let it simmer an extra minute to reduce the liquid
  • Room temperature ingredients help the honey distribute evenly instead of clumping

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