November 6, 2016

Roasted Sweet Potatoes Stuffed with Quinoa and Spinach

These stuffed sweet potatoes with quinoa and spinach make a delicious and colorful entree or side dish. Tender, healthy sweet potatoes are roasted and then topped with a flavorful mixture of quinoa, spinach, cranberries, pecans and feta cheese.

Recipe updated 10/28/17 with nutritional info and additional tips on how to make the recipe.

I’ve been experimenting with different baked sweet potato recipes lately and this recipe for stuffed sweet potatoes with quinoa and spinach has been my favorite.

It is flavorful, healthy and colorful. A savory stuffed sweet potato packed with healthy ingredients is the perfect fall dish.

How to make stuffed sweet potatoes:

Roast your sweet potatoes until they are tender and soft.
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, sauté the spinach and add the cooked quinoa, cranberries, feta and pecans. Stir to combine.
When the sweet potatoes are done, add the spinach and quinoa mixture to the top of the roasted sweet potatoes creating a delicious stuffed sweet potato that is ready to eat.

The easiest way to cook a sweet potato:

Want to know the easiest way to cook a sweet potato?

Just slice it in half lengthwise, coat with a little olive oil and roast in the oven until it’s soft and tender. It’s much easier to tell when the sweet potato is ready when it’s sliced in half. Just test with a fork to see if the fork easily pierces the center of the sweet potato.
Using this method you’ll no longer risk having an under cooked sweet potato.

Health benefits from stuffed sweet potatoes:

Sweet potatoes have a lot of health benefits. They are packed with beta carotene – which helps boost your immune system, provides anti-inflammatory health benefits and promotes healthy skin and eyes. Eating a stuffed sweet potato is a great way to get more beta carotene into your diet.

This dish is high in fiber and the quinoa and pecans give it a boost of protein.

I love stuffed sweet potatoes for dinner – they are a filling, flavorful and healthy meal.

This dish would make a great Thanksgiving side dish – especially if you have a vegetarian family member or friend coming for dinner.

If you’re looking for additional side dishes for Thanksgiving, here are a couple of choices:

On a personal note, this is my one hundredth recipe. I want to thank everyone who regularly reads my blog. I really appreciate your positive feedback and comments. I hope you have enjoyed making the recipes as much as I have creating them!

Tips for making this recipe:

I cut the sweet potatoes in half and then roasted them – instead of roasting them whole. I find it much easier to tell when the sweet potatoes are done this way. Also, the cook a lot faster when cut in half.
Place the sweet potatoes face side down while they cook.
Try to slice the sweet potatoes evenly in half – so that they cook at the same rate.
Sweet potatoes vary on how long they take to roast depending on their size. So start checking the sweet potatoes for doneness around 30 minutes. They should be soft and cooked all the way through. If they still feel firm, cook for another 5 or 10 minutes.
I make a big batch of quinoa each week and keep it in the fridge to add to stir fries or salads. I used it in this recipe. By having pre-cooked quinoa on hand it makes this recipe even simpler to make.

If you make this recipe and enjoy it, come back and let me know by leaving a comment below!