Pizza Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
We are headed to West Palm Beach, Florida this weekend to compete in the CrossFit Games Southeast Regionals with our team. We have been trying to practice the workouts together, which has us coming home later than usual, resulting in dinner being served later than usual too. Since I work from home, sometimes I am able to whip something up in the afternoon and then just reheat it for dinner—it's like some twisted version of leftovers. With this, I had some previously roasted sweet potatoes in the fridge, so I just popped those out, assembled the pizza deliciousness, reheated everything, and we were able to eat at a reasonable hour.
We are headed to West Palm Beach, Florida this weekend to compete in the CrossFit Games Southeast Regionals with our team. We have been trying to practice the workouts together, which has us coming home later than usual, resulting in dinner being served later than usual too. Since I work from home, sometimes I am able to whip something up in the afternoon and then just reheat it for dinner—it's like some twisted version of leftovers. With this, I had some previously roasted sweet potatoes in the fridge, so I just popped those out, assembled the pizza deliciousness, reheated everything, and we were able to eat at a reasonable hour.
- Carbohydrate 45.1855930953026 g
- Cholesterol 105.61893585 mg
- Fat 41.1214541562185 g
- Fiber 9.03604747009517 g
- Protein 29.2610786185817 g
- Saturated Fat 15.8851449973441 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (577g)
- Sodium 28959.4590310302 mg
- Sugar 36.1495456252074 g
- Trans Fat 5.37542539808139 g
- Calories 656 calories
Step-by-step
- Get your oven to 400ºF.
- Prick and place your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet. Let them roast until their insides are soft and mushy, about 45 minutes. I would not recommend microwaving these, as I think the oven develops a sweeter flavor than the microwave, just my 2 cents.
- While the potatoes are roasting, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Taste and adjust to your preferences, then set aside.
- While the potatoes are still roasting…
- In a large saute pan, crumble and brown the sausage. Remove the meat from the pan, reserving the rendered fat. Toss in the mushrooms and onions. Let them cook until the mushrooms have browned and the onions are soft.
- Once the potatoes are done, slice them in half (lengthwise) and arrange the halves nicely on the baking sheet. Smash and loosen the sweets’ insides with a fork.
- Ladle a few spoonfuls of sauce on top of the sweet potato, followed by the mushroom/onion saute, sausage and olives. If you’re using Parmesan, add a little finely grated cheese to help glue everything together.
- Toss the baking sheet back in the oven for a couple minutes, to re-warm everything.
The Sweet Potato Base
Roasting whole sweet potatoes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit without foil traps internal moisture, converting starches into simple sugars over forty-five minutes. Piercing the skin allows steam to escape safely while concentrating the natural sweetness against the savory toppings. Oven baking yields a caramelized exterior and fluffy interior that microwaving simply cannot replicate.Sausage and Vegetable Management
Rendered pork fat from browning the sausage provides the ideal cooking medium for sweating sliced mushrooms and onions in the same pan. Cook the mushrooms undisturbed until their moisture evaporates and deep golden browning occurs. This step prevents excess water from pooling inside the potato cavities later.Assembly and Final Thermal Polish
Smash the interior flesh of the halved potatoes with a fork to create a textured bed that absorbs the tomato sauce without becoming soggy. Layer the warm meat and vegetables over the sauce, top with parmesan to bind the ingredients, and return the baking sheet to the oven briefly to meld the flavors.
