Sloppy Joe Sweet Potatoes (Printable)
Spiced beef Sloppy Joe filling served over tender roasted sweet potatoes for a comforting, wholesome dinner.
# What You'll Need:
→ Vegetables
01 - 4 medium sweet potatoes
02 - 1 small onion, finely chopped
03 - 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
04 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
→ Meats
05 - 1 lb ground beef (ground turkey or plant-based mince may be substituted)
→ Sauces & Liquids
06 - 1 cup tomato sauce
07 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
08 - 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce (use gluten-free variety if needed)
09 - 2 tbsp ketchup
10 - 1 tbsp brown sugar
11 - 1/2 cup beef or vegetable broth
→ Spices & Seasonings
12 - 1 tsp smoked paprika
13 - 1/2 tsp chili powder
14 - 1/2 tsp ground cumin
15 - 1/2 tsp salt
16 - 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
→ Toppings (optional)
17 - Chopped fresh parsley
18 - Shredded cheddar cheese
# Directions:
01 - Preheat the oven to 400°F. Prick each sweet potato several times with a fork and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake for 40–45 minutes until fork-tender when pierced.
02 - While the sweet potatoes bake, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it apart with a wooden spoon, until evenly browned and cooked through. Drain any excess fat if needed.
03 - Add the chopped onion, bell pepper, and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 4–5 minutes until the vegetables are softened and fragrant.
04 - Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, and brown sugar. Season with smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt, and black pepper. Pour in the broth, stir well to combine, and let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes until thickened to a rich, cohesive filling.
05 - Once the sweet potatoes are done, remove them from the oven. Split each one open lengthwise and fluff the interior flesh with a fork.
06 - Spoon the Sloppy Joe mixture generously over each opened sweet potato. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley or shredded cheddar cheese if desired. Serve hot.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- It gives you all the saucy, nostalgic comfort of Sloppy Joes without the bun, which means you can go back for seconds and still feel good about it.
- The natural sweetness of roasted sweet potatoes plays beautifully against the smoky, tangy beef filling in a way that surprises people every single time.
02 -
- Do not rush the sweet potato roasting time, because an undercooked sweet potato will be firm and starchy instead of creamy and luscious.
- Letting the sauce simmer for the full 10 minutes is what transforms it from a watery mess into something thick enough to actually cling to the potato.
03 -
- Toasting the spices in the hot pan for about 30 seconds before adding the liquids blooms their flavor and adds a layer of complexity that you simply cannot get otherwise.
- If you want the cheese to melt perfectly, add it right on top of the hot filling while it is still in the skillet for about 20 seconds before spooning it onto the potato.