Tasty Tuesday

Here is a great side dish (or could be a meal in itself) that is a spin on the regular twice baked potato!

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes {Paleo, Whole30, Dairy-Free}

Ingredients

• 4 small/med sweet potatoes
• Coconut oil or ghee to coat before baking
• Sea salt for baking
• 6 slices nitrate free bacon sugar free for Whole30
• 1 large onion or 2 small sliced thin
• 2 tbsp ghee for caramelizing onion (you can also use rendered bacon fat if preferred)
• sprinkle sea salt for onions
• 5 oz fresh spinach chopped
• 3 Tbsp full fat coconut milk or coconut cream
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tsp spicy brown mustard check label for Whole30 compliance
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder optional
• Sea salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Scrub your potatoes and coat them in coconut oil or ghee with your hands, then sprinkle sea salt all around. Poke each with a fork a few times to release steam.
2. Bake potatoes in the preheated oven for 1 hour or until soft on the inside (times will vary depending on the thickness of your potatoes)
3. While potatoes bake, caramelize the onions (see below) and cook the bacon.
4. For bacon, heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until crisp; drain on paper towels and set aside. Reserve at least 1 Tbsp bacon fat to sauté the spinach.
5. To caramelize the onions, heat a non-stick skillet or well seasoned cast iron skillet over med-low/low heat and the ghee or coconut oil. Add all the onions, stirring to coat. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and cook over low or medium low heat, stirring every 5 minutes ago to prevent burning. Once onions have been cooking for about 25-30 minutes and are deep golden brown, remove from heat and transfer to a plate or bowl.
6. For spinach, place 1 tbsp bacon fat or other cooking fat in a large skillet (or simply use the same skillet that you cooked the bacon in) and heat over medium-high heat. Add all the spinach and stir or toss with tongs so it wilts evenly. Cook for about 2 minutes or until it’s soft and wilted.
7. Once potatoes have baked and are cool enough to handle, cut each one in half lengthwise and carefully scoop out the inside using a spoon, leaving a thin layer to avoid breaking the skin.
8. Place inside of potatoes in a mixing bowl and mash, then stir in the coconut milk, nutritional yeast, mustard and garlic powder until smooth. Crumble in the cooked bacon and stir in the caramelized onions and spinach, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Spoon the mixture into the potato skins to fill all, then bake (at 400 degrees) for another 15-20 minutes until toasty. Serves 8 as a side dish or 4 as a meal. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days - reheat in the toaster oven or oven. Enjoy!