Need a quick and healthy weeknight dinner idea? Check out these Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes. It's everything you love about a classic Sloppy Joe, but made with ground turkey and served up in a baked sweet potato. Yum!
Let me introduce a healthier, tastier spin on the fan-favorite Sloppy Joe! Instead of a sandwich, we've reimagined this dish into a healthier option served atop a tender baked sweet potato. It's loaded with all the same great flavor, but is a dish you can feel good about serving the family toO!
These Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes are:
- A healthy and delicious dinner idea.
- Quick and easy to make.
- Family friendly.
- Total comfort food!
Helpful Tips
Cooking the Sweet Potatoes
The hands down best way to prep the sweet potatoes is to bake them in the oven, as in the recipe instructions. But if you're in a time crunch, you can prepare them in the microwave as well and then add the toppings.
Never skip poking holes in your sweet potatoes before baking!
This prevents the sweet potatoes from bursting open in the oven.
Adjust the spice level
If you prefer less heat, you can totally omit the jalapeño and chipotle chili powder or substitute regular mild chili powder. For more heat, add some red pepper flakes or cayenne pepper.
Add veggies or legumes
I kept the filling pretty simple for the sake of convenience. But you can add seasonal veggies like zucchini or mushrooms. Or try upping the nutrition even more with some chickpeas or cooked lentils.
Variations
Swap the meat.
If you are not a turkey fan, feel free to use ground beef or chicken. They all work just as well - just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Fine, have a bun.
If you're still craving a more classic sandwich style Sloppy Joe, prepare the healthier turkey filling and serve it atop a hearty whole grain bun for a healthier touch.
Make it sweeter.
Add a touch of sweetness by incorporating a spoonful of molasses or brown sugar into your turkey mixture. This pairs especially well with spicy profiles!
Make it vegetarian.
To make this recipe vegetarian-friendly, replace the turkey with plant-based meat, lentils or even finely chopped mushrooms. I like to make a vegetarian version for myself, while my husband prefers the turkey!
Add cheese.
Because everything is better with cheese. Add some shredded cheese on top of the turkey filling. A good melting cheese like cheddar or mozzarella works perfectly and adds an extra layer of flavor and decadence to this hearty dish.
Add more toppings.
Try topping with chopped fresh herbs, thinly slice red onions, pickles, or sliced jalapenos for an extra kick.
More Tasty Recipes
If you love these Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes, be sure to check out these other delicious recipes too:
- Loaded Chili Baked Potatoes
- Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Peppers
- Loaded Chicken and Potato Casserole
- Copycat Panera Turkey Chili
Recipe
Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 Sweet potatoes washed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided
- Kosher salt
- 1 white or yellow onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 lb ground Turkey
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 green bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 jalapeño seeded and diced
- 1 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Wash and dry the sweet potatoes. Poke holes in each sweet potato with a fork a few times on each side. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the sweet potatoes and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Rub the potatoes until they are coated in oil and salt.
- Bake the sweet potatoes for 45-50 minutes, or until tender.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional minute or until fragrant.
- Add the ground turkey and saute until it's no longer pink, breaking it up as it cooks. About 5 minutes.
- Reduce the heat and add in the chipotle chili powder, black pepper, green peppers, jalapenos, tomato sauce, tomato paste, and Dijon mustard. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Once the sweet potatoes are tender, remove from the oven and let them cool enough to handle.
- Once the potatoes have cooled, cut them lengthwise and fill with the turkey mixture.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- You can easily tell if a sweet potato is done cooking by sticking a fork through the center. If it's soft they're ready to go.
- You can use ground beef or chicken instead of turkey.
- Don't like heat? Omit the jalapeno and chipotle chili powder. Regular chili powder works fine.
- If you have very large sweet potatoes it might take a full hour for them to bake.
- You can use ketchup instead of tomato sauce and tomato paste. I would start with ½ cup and continue to add to your desired sauce thickness.
- Serve this with a side of garlic bread and a salad for a full meal.
- Air frying sweet potatoes - poke holes in the sweet potatoes, and rub with olive oil and salt. Air fry at 370F for 35-45 minutes or until soft.
Nutrition
Nutrition details are an estimate, per serving.
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