These Crispy Sweet Potato Boats are a delightful combination of savory and sweet flavors, featuring crispy bacon, tender apples, and melted Cheddar cheese, all served in a delicious sweet potato skin.
Ingredients
4 pieces sweet potatoes
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 slices bacon
1 small onion
1 medium apple
2 pieces scallions
1 cup Cheddar cheese
to taste salt
to taste black pepper
Method
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
Clean the sweet potatoes thoroughly, drying them off with a towel. Poke several holes in each potato with a fork, then coat the skins with olive oil before placing them on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake the sweet potatoes for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften.
Allow the sweet potatoes to cool slightly, then carefully slice each one in half lengthwise.
Scoop out the majority of the sweet potato flesh, leaving about a quarter-inch of skin. Chop the scooped flesh into small cubes and return the hollow skins, cut side down, to the baking sheet. Bake them again for an additional 5 to 10 minutes until they become crispy.
In a large non-stick skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it's brown and crispy, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Remove the bacon from the pan, crumble it, and set it aside.
Using the leftover bacon drippings in the skillet, add diced onion and sauté for roughly 3 minutes. Next, add the apple pieces, chopped sweet potato cubes, and the white parts of the scallions. Cook while stirring occasionally for about 8 to 10 minutes until the apples are tender and the sweet potatoes are soft.
Fold in the crumbled bacon, gently mix everything together, and season with salt and pepper to your liking.
Spoon the mixture evenly into the sweet potato skins. Sprinkle shredded Cheddar cheese on top of each one and return them to the oven until the cheese is melted, which should take around 5 minutes.
Once ready, remove the sweet potato boats from the oven, garnish with the reserved green parts of the scallions, and serve them warm.
