Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

I have no idea what took me so long to realize how great sweet potatoes are outside the mashed side dish of the Thanksgiving variety. I mean, to me no turkey feast is complete without sweet potatoes, so maybe I haven't been giving enough credit to their versatility. These sweet potatoes have everything to offer: flavour, texture, and fibre. I couldn't get enough, and neither will you.

I found one single stuffed potato half to be pretty filling, but it could still make for a hearty side dish. The kale and chick peas offer some nice bulk to the sweet potato flesh, and I ended up having a little bit leftover (which took no encouragement for me to gobble it up while they baked). Keep an eye on them if you choose to broil the cheese on top - I got distracted and ended up over-broiling half of my potatoes. They still tasted great but were much less pretty to look at. For that reason I haven't included broiling in the cooking directions, do so at your own risk!

Kale Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Author: Amanda
Difficulty: easy
Serves: 6 hearty sides

Ingredients

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
• 1 bunch kale, washed, shredded into bite size pieces with woody stems discarded
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups + 1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese
• 1/4-1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions Brush sweet potatoes on all sides with olive oil and bake at 350F until fork tender, about one hour. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Once cool to handle, split each potato lengthwise and remove the flesh, leaving enough border to maintain shape. Mash with up to 1/2 cup butter for added richness. In a skillet over medium heat, heat remaining olive oil and wilt kale, saute with garlic, chick peas, and spices. Incorporate mixture to sweet potato mash and add shredded cheese. Spoon mixture into sweet potato shells and top with remaining cheese. Bake at 350F for an additonal 30-45 minutes, until cheese browned. Serve.

Step-by-Step Photos

Brush the scrubbed potatoes with olive oil and roast at 350F until fork tender. This took me about an hour.

Meanwhile, wilt the kale with the garlic, chick peas, and spices. Wilt the kale by keeping the lid on so the steam does most of the work for you. It should only take a few minutes, so you can do this while the potatoes are roasting or you can wait until they are finished. Your call.

Once the potatoes are roasted and cool enough to handle, split them in half lengthwise and scoop out the delicious flesh. Leave enough so that you don't compromise the integrity of the shell - otherwise it will be difficult to fill them back up again.

Mash the scooped potato flesh with up to 1/2 cup of butter. I started off with 1/4 cup and ended up adding some more for a little bit of a richer texture, but that can be left up to you.

Combine the wilted kale, mashed sweet potatoes, and shredded Monterrey Jack cheese in a mixing bowl.

Return the filling to the sweet potato shells and top with remaining shredded cheese. Bake at 350F for 30-45 minutes. The cheese should be bubbly and beginning to brown.

Serve.