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Cheesy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Basil Pesto

Cheesy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Basil Pesto – Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce!

Basil Pesto Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara!

Cheesy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes stuffed with pesto and topped with cheese + marinara sauce! My gosh, I could eat all of those up there.

Before I go on, can I tell you that this is the happiest of Fridaaaaays! Know why?! BECAUSE we’re in Chicago, celebrating the CUBS! ⚾ ⚾ ⚾

Can you believe it?!? I’m pretty sure pigs ARE flying, hell DID freeze over, and the damn goat is finally dead. All while we fly the “W”! GO CUBS GO!!

I lived just a few blocks from Wrigley Field for many years, and witnessed many ups and downs at those games, but I can definitely say all of that WAS and always WILL BE worth it. *wiping off tears of pride*  I can’t wait until next year! 

You came here for the taters, I know. But STILL… I mean…THE Cubs won the World Series! Someone pinch meeee!

Basil Pesto Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Basil Pesto

OK OK. So. These Cheesy Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Basil Pesto are actually what we were munching on when the Cubbies bounced back with a 3-2 win over the Indians. And, because we Cub fans are extremely superstitious, I feel that my sweet potatoes helped them win.  This is MY dream… let’s respect that.

Today we’re going to dress up the classic twice baked sweet potatoes with a beautiful pesto sauce, some cheese, a little more cheese, toasted pine nuts, and tangy marinara. Flavor flavor flavor.

Basil Pesto Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara!

These guys are loaded with deliciousness because, I seriously have no interest in messing around with any potatoes unless they are reallllyyyyyy good. Gotta make those carbs worth all that running on the treadmill, know whaddamean?

Basil Pesto Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara!

BAKED SWEET POTATOES IN THE MICROWAVE

I also have to come clean and tell you that the whole twice-baked thing may not be entirely truuuue… or maybe it is? I cheated. I popped the potatoes in the microwave instead of pre-baking them in the oven because, 6 minutes in the microwave beats 30 minutes in the oven. Am I right? Word.

Basil Pesto Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara!

BASIL PESTO

One thing, real quick – I live for sauces and dressings and pestos. If I can’t find something saucy to put on my food, I will gladly reach over for the plain ol’ yellow mustard. I really don’t mind. I just have to have that bit of creaminess in my food. I hope you can understand.

For that reason, I like my baked sweet potatoes with a swirl of pesto, instead of butter and milk. Let’s not get it twisted, though. I do love butter and milk, but pesto adds whole lot more flavor AND creaminess. See where I’m coming from?

Basil Pesto Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara!

When all that is done, you’re just going to top the taters with shredded mozzarella, melt it, then top it off with marinara sauce and some pine nuts. The amount of perfect in that combination is out.of.control.

ENJOY!

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TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS USED IN THIS RECIPE

Basil Pesto Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara!

Basil Pesto Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes

Katerina | Diethood
Basil Pesto Twice-Baked Sweet Potatoes - Twice baked, savory sweet potatoes stuffed with a delicious basil pesto mixture, and topped with melty mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce!
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Servings : 8 Serves
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 (8 ounces each) sweet potatoes
  • 1/2- cup basil pesto
  • 3 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan
  • salt and fresh ground pepper , to taste
  • 1/2- cup fancy shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 1/3- cup toasted pine nuts
  • 1/2 cup marinara sauce , for serving
  • fresh chopped parsley , for garnish

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 375F.
  • Lightly spray a baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
  • Pierce the sweet potatoes 6 times.
  • Place on a microwaveable plate and microwave for 6 minutes, rotating halfway through.
  • Remove from microwave oven and let stand several minutes.
  • Once cool enough to handle, cut them down the middle, lengthwise.
  • Scoop out the flesh, careful not to cut through the skins, and transfer to a medium mixing bowl.
  • Stir in the basil pesto; add grated parmesan, salt and fresh ground pepper and mix and stir until smooth and well incorporated.
  • Taste for seasonings and adjust accordingly.
  • Spoon the mixture back into the potato skins.
  • Transfer the potatoes to previously prepared baking sheet.
  • Bake for 15 minutes.
  • Remove from oven and add mozzarella cheese and pine nuts; continue to bake for 4 more minutes, or until cheese is melted.
  • Remove from oven and let stand couple minutes.
  • Transfer to serving plates and top with marinara sauce and chopped fresh parsley.
  • Serve.

Notes

Serve as a side dish or an appetizer.
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1.5 sweet potato | Calories: 223 kcal | Carbohydrates: 25 g | Protein: 5 g | Fat: 11 g | Saturated Fat: 2 g | Cholesterol: 7 mg | Sodium: 318 mg | Potassium: 446 mg | Fiber: 3 g | Sugar: 5 g | Vitamin A: 16485 IU | Vitamin C: 3.2 mg | Calcium: 135 mg | Iron: 1.2 mg

Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.

Course: Side Dish/Appetizer
Cuisine: American/Southern
Keyword: sweet potato recipe
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