- Hey, everyone.
I've got a new healthy basics recipe for you today
that is perfect for these cold winter months
and that's baked sweet potato.
Now, before you think ah, I already know how to do that,
you might wanna stick around for some of my tips
and because I'm sneaking in a barbecue chicken-stuffed
sweet potato recipe at the end.
For those of you doing the January Whole30,
this is a 100% compliant recipe.
And if you're not doing a Whole30,
it's still a tasty, filling, and nourishing recipe
that's perfect for any day of the week
and especially on game nights.
So let's dive in.
Sweet potatoes come in a variety of shapes and sizes,
thanks to Mother Nature.
But when you're making baked sweet potatoes,
it's best to grab some that are about the same size,
whether that's long and skinny, small and round,
or large and round.
Starting with sweet potatoes more similar in size
ensures that they'll bake at the same rate
and you won't have some that are undercooked or overcooked.
Sweet potatoes also come in many varieties
so you'll frequently see an entire rainbow of colors
in your supermarket or Farmer's Market.
The orange sweet potato is most common
and oftentimes you'll see it inaccurately marketed as a yam,
but yams are quite different
and I chat about this on the blog post.
You can always jazz up your baked sweet potato recipe
by using Japanese sweet potatoes
that have a reddish skin and a white interior,
purple sweet potatoes that are purple
on both the outside and inside,
and white sweet potatoes that are cream-colored throughout.
To get started baking your sweet potato,
preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Then grab a baking sheet.
I highly recommend a heavy duty or commercial baking sheet,
if you don't have one,
because it won't warp or bend like cheaper baking sheets.
And I linked mine in the description box below.
Sweet potatoes also have a tendency to ooze a bit
when baking, so my other tip is to line your baking sheet
with parchment paper.
It just makes the whole cleaning process easier,
and while some recipes have you wrapping
each sweet potato individually in aluminum foil,
that's definitely not necessary.
So I've got four sweet potatoes about the same size
and before I get to baking,
I need to give them a good scrub.
While they've been rinsed before arriving at the market,
they're not exactly clean
and I don't think anyone wants dirt or debris in their meal.
To give them a good wash,
grab a vegetable brush like this one.
It's labeled as a vegetable brush, which is a good thing,
so it won't accidentally get mistaken
for a kitchen or bathroom scrubber.
And it has both hard and soft bristles.
And since I know you guys are gonna ask,
I've linked it below as well.
Wash your sweet potatoes under the faucet
and gently scrub all the nooks and crannies of the potato
until it's clean.
Then place it on a paper towel and blot it dry.
If you're cooking several sweet potatoes,
just repeat this process until all of them are clean.
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Add the sweet potatoes to your baking sheet
and then give them about five to six pokes
with a fork or a sharp knife.
A lot of heat and steam builds up inside
the sweet potato while baking,
and while they're not quite as likely to explode
in the oven as the microwave,
it is better to be safe than sorry.
At 400 degrees Fahrenheit, the average sized sweet potato
will bake in about 60 minutes,
but as mine are larger today,
they'll probably need about 15 minutes more.
And you might need to flex your bake time as well
depending on the size of your sweet potato.
When the potatoes are almost done,
I'll prep my ingredients
for the barbecue chicken-stuffed sweet potato recipe.
This is an incredibly easy recipe
and only requires a handful of ingredients.
I'll start by slicing one red onion,
and as I'm sure you guys have gathered by now,
I almost always slice the entire onion when I do
so that I can store it in a container precut
and use it in recipes throughout the week.
Then chop up some fresh cilantro.
If you're not a fan of cilantro,
you can use a variety of other herbs
like parsley or tarragon.
Now if you watch last week's video,
you learned how to quickly shred chicken
and I got a whole batch of it ready to go in my fridge
so I'll use that today.
In terms of barbecue sauce,
I'm using this one from Primal Kitchen
as it has wholesome ingredients, no added sugar,
and is Whole30 compliant.
Because my chicken is cold from the fridge,
I'm just gonna quickly heat it up on the stove top
and add about three cups worth to a saute pan
then pour the entire bottle of barbecue sauce on top.
If you like your chicken extra saucy,
you might wanna buy two bottles.
To tell if your sweet potatoes are done,
all you have to do is poke one with a sharp knife.
It should go through like soft butter,
so if you have any resistance,
just cook your potatoes a little bit longer.
Let your potatoes sit for a couple of minutes
or until they're cool to the touch.
Then slice one in half and open it up.
It should be soft and steamy on the inside
and from here you can simply add a pat of butter,
salt and pepper, and serve it up as a side dish.
But if you'd like to turn this into a meal,
add some of that barbecue chicken on top,
a few slices of red onion,
and a generous handful of cilantro.
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And that's how easy it is
to make these barbecue chicken-stuffed sweet potatoes.
I hope you guys enjoyed today's video,
and if you did, make sure to give it a thumbs up
as it helps to support my channel,
and hit that Subscribe button below
if you're not already subscribed.
And I will see you again in next week's video.
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