Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

I think I found my new favorite sweet potato dish.  These are a healthy version of the typical twice-baked potato but they do not lack in flavor at all!  They are very rich and filled with good-for-you ingredients.  The cookbook I found these in refers to this recipe as "Healthy Potato Skins", but when I think of potato skins I think of an appetizer; these are far from an appetizer though.  In fact, I could eat one of these sweet potatoes for dinner and be completely satisfied.  These twice-baked sweet potatoes are perfection and I highly recommend them!

 

Healthy Potato Skins

Source: Cook Yourself Thin: Skinny Meals You Can Make in Minutes, as seen on Lifetime

serves 2

Ingredients

2 medium sweet potatoes

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 bag baby spinach (about 9 ounces)

2 scallions, thinly sliced

2 slices turkey bacon

4 ounces low-fat cream cheese

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

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Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and onto an oven rack.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until fork tender.

Meanwhile, in a deep saute pan heat the olive oil and cook the onion for 2 to 3 minutes until soft.  Add the garlic and cook for one more minute.  Add the entire bag of spinach and scallions, cover, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the spinach has wilted.

In another saute pan cook the turkey bacon until crisp and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.  When cooled, chop the bacon into small pieces and reserve.

When the sweet potatoes are cooked, let them cool for 5 minutes.  Carefully slice each one in half and scoop out inside of potato into a bowl.  Add cream cheese, buttermilk, spinach mixture, turkey bacon, salt, and pepper and mash together until smooth.  

Using a pastry brush, coat the outside of each potato skin with the vegetable oil.  Fill each of the shells with the filling and top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.  Transfer each skin back to the baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the skins are crispy.  Top with bits of turkey bacon and serve.