These Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes make a hearty and filling vegetarian dinner! They are super easy to make and full of flavor. 
Don’t you just love sweet potatoes? Talk about a versatile spud. It can be everything from breakfast, to dessert, to the star of a soup, to a side dish, to a main course. And it just happens to be a superfood filled with antioxidants and anti-inflammatory and disease fighting components.
Today I stuff a sweet ‘tater southwest style. Add a little side salad and you’ve got yourself a meal. Use smaller potatoes and it can be a side dish, too.
Now this recipe, as written is easy, but not quick. The only thing making it not quick is baking the sweet potato in the oven. This takes about an hour if you are using the really big ones. The rest of the prep in the recipe? 10 minutes. Tops.
I prefer to bake the sweet potatoes in the oven (so the skin gets a little crispy), but if you want to turn this into a really fast weeknight meal and use the microwave, I won’t judge you. The darn microwave is my nemesis. I want to kick it to the curb, but what busy mom can resist having something like a sweet potato that takes an hour to cook in the oven ready in 10 minutes? If you use the microwave, this easy recipe turns into a super fast, easy recipe.
Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potato Video
I used a prepared salsa in this recipe to make it as easy as possible. What kind of salsa you use can obviously alter the flavor profile you end up with. You can use a chunkier one if you’d like chunks of tomato, or a smoother one if you’d like them to blend in. You can make this spicier or mild depending on what salsa you use, as well.
My kids, of course, won’t eat any kind of potato stuffed with anything, so they get this meal deconstructed. I keep telling myself I won’t deconstructing their meals when they’re in high school. Right? Right?!!
How to Make Southwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
PrintSouthwest Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
These stuffed sweet potatoes are a great, gluten-free vegetarian main course!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: main meal
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
2 large or 4 smaller sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup cooked black beans
1/2 cup frozen sweet corn kernels (I didn’t thaw them)
1/2 cup prepared salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
1/3–2/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar
for garnish–~2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, lime wedges (optional)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place your sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and rub them with a little oil. (<—this is optional. I used avocado oil. I like how it helps the skin get crispy.)
Bake the sweet potatoes until they are fork tender, about one hour for large ones.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet. Add the black beans, corn, salsa, lime juice, cumin, salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Stir well and cook until everything is heated through, a few minutes. Remove from heat.
When the sweet potatoes are ready, gently cut a thin layer off of the top of each potato. Use a spoon to gently remove the flesh from each potato and place it into a medium bowl.
Use a fork or potato masher to mash the flesh of the sweet potatoes. Stir in the bean and corn mixture.
Spoon the mixture back into the skin of the sweet potato and top each one with the shredded cheese.
Put the cheese-topped sweet potatoes back into the oven under the broiler and broil until the cheese is melted, about two minutes. Enjoy!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 12.5g
- Sodium: 555mg
- Fat: 14.5g
- Carbohydrates: 54.5g
- Protein: 16g
Keywords: stuffed sweet potatoes
This recipe was first published in 2015. The post was updated with a video in 2019.
The Many Thoughts of a Reader says
February 28, 2015 at 10:39 amyum!
Kate // Vegukate says
February 28, 2015 at 11:29 amso YUM! I love stuffed sweet potatoes – they are my perfect meal. 🙂
Maryea says
March 1, 2015 at 3:02 pmI agree!
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
February 28, 2015 at 4:31 pmLove stuffed sweet potatoes.. these look awesome and I can imagine tasted so delicious!
Maryea says
March 1, 2015 at 3:02 pmThanks so much, Thalia! These are definitely tasty. 🙂
Alexis @ Hummusapien says
March 1, 2015 at 9:51 pmYou know my love affair with sweet potatoes!! I could totally eat this for every meal and be happy 🙂
Maryea says
March 2, 2015 at 6:13 amMe, too!
GiGi Eats says
March 2, 2015 at 12:54 amI really wish I liked sweet potatoes – My mom scarred me from a young age – LOL! But I could totally try this with butternut squash!
Maryea says
March 2, 2015 at 6:13 amOh man–that’s a bummer. Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite things on earth. Butternut squash would be an interesting swap here!
Rachel says
March 2, 2015 at 8:17 amNice presentation! This looks like a delicious meal that I can realistically make for my family on a weeknight!
Melissa says
March 6, 2015 at 11:22 pmOh my goodness this looks so delicious. I love sweet potatoes and any excuse to eat/cook with them – and all this stuffing sounds right up my alley. I had a breakfast bowl – hash browns with almost all these toppings on it – the other day, and it was maybe the most amazing thing I have ever tasted. Can’t wait to try this out!
Maryea says
March 7, 2015 at 8:40 amI hope you love it, Melissa!
Michael says
January 14, 2018 at 9:15 amYour photo brought me to the table. The recipe happily ensnared me. Thank you so very much.
Maryea says
January 16, 2018 at 6:56 pmAw, thanks so much for your sweet comment, Michael.
Kathy R says
February 7, 2019 at 1:18 pmI never liked sweet potatoes. My doctor suggested I start eating these rather than regular potatoes. I had a hard time at first, but now I would never go back to a regular potato!
And I love these recipes!
★★★★★
Maryea says
February 12, 2019 at 7:11 amSo glad to hear that!
Jessica Alice says
March 20, 2019 at 12:42 amHi, Maryea
I so enjoy your site and your recipes. Would you please consider adding a print option so we can enjoy your recipes a little more easily. Thank you so much. I really wish I liked sweet potatoes – My mom scared me from a young age – LOL! But I could totally try this with butternut squash!
Maryea says
March 20, 2019 at 12:59 pmI do have a print option! 🙂
Christine says
May 13, 2019 at 1:52 pmLove this recipe! I made them ahead and am bringing them into work for lunches; my colleagues were so impressed with the presentation and with how easy it was to put together! I’ve so enjoyed all of the recipes I’ve tried from this site, and I can’t wait for your Instant Pot Anti-Inflammatory Diet book to be released!
★★★★★
Maryea says
May 16, 2019 at 1:15 pmSo happy to hear that, Christine! Thank you! 🙂