Smoky Black Bean & Beef Stuffed Sweet Potato — 38g Protein, Under $4.50
A stuffed baked potato is already a complete meal in a single vessel. A stuffed sweet potato with smoky spiced beef and black beans is something considerably better than that. The sweet potato bakes until the flesh is soft and slightly caramelised, then it is split and loaded with seasoned ground beef, black beans, and a cool Greek yogurt drizzle that ties the sweetness of the potato against the smoky heat of the filling. It looks generous and considered on the plate, tastes like comfort food that has been nutritionally optimised, and costs under four dollars and fifty cents. At 38 grams of protein, this is the stuffed potato that earns its place in a serious meal plan.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Scrub the sweet potato, pierce several times with a fork, and place directly on the oven rack or a baking sheet.
- Bake for 38–42 minutes until completely tender when pierced with a knife and the skin is slightly caramelised.
- While the sweet potato bakes, heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the ground beef and break it apart. Cook for 4–5 minutes until fully browned.
- Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the black beans and cook for 2 more minutes until warmed through. Remove from heat.
- When the sweet potato is done, let it cool for 2 minutes then slice it open lengthways and press the sides gently to open it up.
- Fluff the inside flesh slightly with a fork.
- Pile the beef and black bean mixture generously into and over the sweet potato.
- Drizzle Greek yogurt over the top. Finish with cilantro, chili flakes, and hot sauce if using.
Notes
Sweet potatoes baked whole in their skin require zero preparation beyond washing and piercing — no peeling, no chopping, and the skin becomes slightly crispy and completely edible. Buying a bag of sweet potatoes rather than individual ones drops the per-potato cost significantly. Ground beef bought in a larger pack and frozen in 120g portions is the most economical way to use it regularly across multiple recipes.
