Loaded Sweet Potatoes With Ground Beef & Beans

If you’re a fan of sweet potatoes and looking for a quick, protein-packed meal idea, you’re in the right place.

These loaded sweet potatoes with ground beef and beans are hearty, flavorful, and full of goodness. Simply bake the sweet potatoes in the oven while you prepare the meat sauce on the stovetop, and you’ll have a satisfying meal ready in about 45 minutes.

I love serving them with a simple salad on the side and a spoonful of cottage cheese or sour cream. It adds a refreshing touch and perfectly balances the sweet and savory flavors of the potato and meat filling.

Let me know in the comments how you served yours!

Ingredients & How-to

For the filling of these loaded sweet potatoes we are going to need ground beef, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, olive oil, crushed tomatoes, red kidney beans, fresh parsley, paprika, salt and black pepper.

• Ground beef: I’m using grass-fed 93% lean ground beef for the filling. You could use more fatty ground beef if you prefer or ground turkey as an alternative.
• Red kidney beans: I like to use canned beans for this recipe that are precooked and don’t require any separate soaking or boiling. You could also use dried beans that you have cooked in advance.
• Crushed tomatoes: You could use crushed tomatoes, or passata or even tomato sauce. Whatever you have available at home and like to use.
• Fresh parsley: It adds some aroma and is refreshing. If you don’t have any, you could use some mixed dried herbs or Italian seasoning.

For full quantities check the recipe down below. So let’s get started!

01. I start by preparing the filling. I add the ground beef to a large pot and let it brown for a few minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

02. Then I add the diced carrot, celery, chopped onion, and garlic. I let everything cook together with the ground beef for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.

03. Next, I add the red kidney beans. I’m using canned beans that are already cooked and don’t require and soaking and precooking.

04. I add about a cup of crushed tomatoes or you could also use tomato sauce, and season with salt, pepper and paprika. If you like more spices, you could add some cumin, tumeric or dried herbs.

05. I cook the ground meat and beans with the lid on for half an hour before adding the chopped fresh parsley. If you don’t like the parsley, you could leave it out or add some dried herbs instead.

06. I continue cooking the meat sauce uncovered for another 10-15 minutes until it thickens.

07. For the sweet potatoes, I simply cut them in half and drizzle with a little olive oil. I place them flesh side down on a sheet pan and bake for 40–45 minutes, until they’re soft and beautifully tender.

08. While they are still warm, I mash the inside of each sweet potato using a fork and add half a tablespoon of butter and a pinch of salt.

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Serving suggestions

If you love melted cheese, spoon the ground beef and bean sauce over the sweet potatoes, sprinkle with grated cheese, and return them to the oven until the cheese is perfectly melted and bubbly.

I like to serve them with a spoonful of cottage cheese or sour cream for a refreshing contrast that balances the sweet and savory flavors. On the side, you can keep it simple with some arugula drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, or try a classic Greek lettuce saladfor something extra fresh and vibrant.

Storage

If you have any leftovers from loaded sweet potatoes store them in the fridge in a separate bowl with the meat sauce afor up to 3–4 days. I like to warm up the sweet potato first in a pan or the microwave, then the ground beef and beans sauce and top up the potato after. The meat sauce is also freezable for up to 2 months.

FAQ

What can I use instead of ground beef?

Can I add more spices?