Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes with Bacon Topping
By Celeste RogersPublished on September 25, 2013
Time
1¼ hours
Yield
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 small sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), unpeeled, each lightly pricked with fork in 3 places4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ⅛- to ¾-inch pieces1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme Salt and pepper ½ ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ cup)1 large egg, lightly beaten2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Before You Begin
The skins of the sweet potato are edible and add an earthiness to the dish. When shopping, look for sweet potatoes that are uniform in size, with rounded ends.
Instructions
- Place potatoes in shallow baking dish. Microwave until skewer glides easily through flesh and potatoes yield to gentle pressure, 9 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes every 3 minutes. Let potatoes cool for 10 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl. Add 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, bread pieces, thyme, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to bowl with bacon. Toss to combine.
- Halve each potato lengthwise. Using spoon, scoop flesh from each half into second bowl, leaving about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness of flesh. Place 6 shells cut side up on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet (discard remaining 2 shells). Bake shells until dry and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash potato flesh with ricer, food mill, or potato masher until smooth. Stir in Parmesan, egg, melted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Remove shells from oven and reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Divide mashed potato mixture evenly among shells. Top each filled shell with bread mixture. Bake until bread mixture is spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Stuff potato shells as directed in step 5 but do not top. Store bread mixture at room temperature and refrigerate filled potatoes for up to 24 hours. To serve, top each shell and bake as directed, reducing oven temperature to 325 degrees and increasing baking time to 35 minutes.
to make ahead
Time
1¼ hoursYield
Serves 6Ingredients
4 small sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), unpeeled, each lightly pricked with fork in 3 places
4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ⅛- to ¾-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
½ ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients
4 small sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), unpeeled, each lightly pricked with fork in 3 places
4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ⅛- to ¾-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
½ ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Ingredients
4 small sweet potatoes (8 ounces each), unpeeled, each lightly pricked with fork in 3 places
4 slices bacon, cut into ½-inch pieces
2 slices hearty white sandwich bread, crusts removed, cut into ⅛- to ¾-inch pieces
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Salt and pepper
½ ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (¼ cup)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Why This Recipe Works
We learned that a microwave start, instead of an initial bake, best maintained the integrity of the delicate sweet potato skins. Baking the scooped-out shells in the oven before stuffing transformed them into a toothsome, stable base. By adding an egg to the mashed flesh, we gave the otherwise watery sweet potato structure and velvety smoothness. Finishing with a toasted topping of large bread crumbs provided a crunchy counterpoint perfectly suited to this low-starch spud.
Before You Begin
The skins of the sweet potato are edible and add an earthiness to the dish. When shopping, look for sweet potatoes that are uniform in size, with rounded ends.
Instructions
- Place potatoes in shallow baking dish. Microwave until skewer glides easily through flesh and potatoes yield to gentle pressure, 9 to 12 minutes, flipping potatoes every 3 minutes. Let potatoes cool for 10 minutes. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- Cook bacon in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to bowl. Add 2 tablespoons fat from skillet, bread pieces, thyme, ¼ teaspoon pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt to bowl with bacon. Toss to combine.
- Halve each potato lengthwise. Using spoon, scoop flesh from each half into second bowl, leaving about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness of flesh. Place 6 shells cut side up on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet (discard remaining 2 shells). Bake shells until dry and slightly crispy, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mash potato flesh with ricer, food mill, or potato masher until smooth. Stir in Parmesan, egg, melted butter, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Remove shells from oven and reduce temperature to 375 degrees. Divide mashed potato mixture evenly among shells. Top each filled shell with bread mixture. Bake until bread mixture is spotty brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.
- Stuff potato shells as directed in step 5 but do not top. Store bread mixture at room temperature and refrigerate filled potatoes for up to 24 hours. To serve, top each shell and bake as directed, reducing oven temperature to 325 degrees and increasing baking time to 35 minutes.
to make ahead
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