Expand your horizons and jump into the warm flavors of these Moroccan Ground Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes; sweet potatoes topped with cinnamon and nutmeg spiced ground turkey and then drizzled with a creamy Greek yogurt sauce. Healthy and delicious!
ME BEFORE THE RECIPE…
Well I just had one of the most fabulous weekends of my life!!! If there’s one person lucky enough to have good friends, it’s me. No doubt.
A fabulous friend of mine decided she was going to run an Ultra race (52 miles) a few months back. She trained for it and organized a team of runners that would run by her side every step of the way. Her goal was to recognize what a powerful, strong, and determined woman she is. To her, this meant she must finish the race.
I had the pleasure of participating on that support relay team, running alongside her for a few portions of the race. Well, a few portions of the race turned into nearly the entire race. I ended up running 45 out of the 52 miles, taking a short break midway to fuel up and re-hydrate.
I was absolutely amazed at what my body could do without a focused training schedule leading up to race day. Yes, I had psychically prepared and trained for a marathon a few months back, and kept up with my daily running routine since. But, never did I try to run anything close to 52 miles in my entire life.
Upon completing the race, I had to ask myself, “How the heck did I just do that?!” and the answer came quite clear: healthy eating and exercise.
I truly believe that the reason my body was able to endure such a physical task is because I eat a healthy diet and exercise on a routine basis. There really is no substitution for fresh, natural food and adequate amounts of physical activity.
So if you ask me what kinds of food I fuel my body with, I basically answer with, “ALL of the food groups”. Yes, not one single food group gets overlooked. I make sure that our days are complete with a variety of fruits, proteins, dairy, veggies, and grains. Nothing gets left out.
And on top of offering a variety of food to my family, I am very adamant about serving minimally processed options and making the majority of our meals from scratch. Nothing can replace healthy home cooked meals.
HERE COMES THE RECIPE…
Such is the case with these healthy and flavorful Moroccan Ground Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. These ground turkey stuffed sweet potatoes are the definition of a quick and easy weeknight meal: effortless baked sweet potatoes topped with a warmly spiced ground turkey mixture and a tangy Greek yogurt sauce. The flavor combo is to die for!
Now I didn’t even know what to name these sweet potatoes at first. I wasn’t even quite sure what ethnic background these combination of spices fell under, but I knew they tasted delicious. My first instinct was to call these middle eastern spiced sweet potatoes, but as I began to research I came to find out my spice combo was reflective of traditional moroccan flavoring.
Spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, turmeric, and paprika are all authentic flavors to moroccan dishes and no wonder they’re a popular seasoning blend. They are fantastic together!
It’s always so much fun to venture out and experience new flavor profiles. You become surprised at how many options there are to choose from. I remember recently trying Ethiopian food in Hawaii and I was blown away at how much I loved the flavors. How have I never eaten it before???! Besides the communal eating (everyone sticking their hands in the same dish), the entire experience was enjoyable. Next time I’ll bring my own plate and utensils, though. Eek!
These ground turkey stuffed sweet potatoes have a basic base of oven baked sweet potato rounds (which are lovely in and of themselves…who doesn’t love sweet potatoes?!). They are then topped with a ground turkey mixture that is somewhat reminiscent of sloppy joes. Instead of tasting like ground beef swimming in ketchup, the sauce is fresh and flavorful with an aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. A splash of lemon juice gives this sauce a slight tang.
The best part of these ground turkey sweet potatoes is the Greek yogurt topping. It’s basically a creamy Greek yogurt base with a splash of lemon juice, a drizzle of honey, and a handful of spices. I’ll admit it’s slightly potent on it’s own, but trust me…in combination with the sweet potatoes and turkey mixture, it’s pure heaven.
You can get creative with additional toppings for these sweet potatoes. We opted for green onions and pickled jalapenos, but I’m quite positive that some diced avocados and crumbled feta would pair nicely. Slice black olives would even be a fine touch.
So the next time your itching to cook your family a healthy, hearty meal full of flavor and nutrients, opt for these Moroccan Ground Turkey Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. There should only be tears of joy when devouring these.
YOU MIGHT ALSO ENJOY…
- Southwest Sweet Potato Quinoa Bowls
- Vegetarian Sweet Green Pepper Chili
- Rosemary Butternut Squash and Potato Hash
- Slow Cooker Sweet Tomato Country Style Spare Ribs
- Roasted Curry Veggie Salad with Citrus Tahini Dressing
- For the ground turkey:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lemon (about 1½ tablespoons)
- 1¼ lbs. lean ground turkey
- 1 can petite diced tomatoes (15 oz.)
- 1 can tomato sauce (15 oz.)
- 1½-2½ teaspoons salt, divided
- ¾-1 teaspoon pepper, divided
- 1½ teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground mustard
- For the sauce:
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon granulated garlic
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- dash of cayenne
- dash of salt
- For the potatoes:
- 6 small or 4 medium sweet potatoes
- toppings such as: chopped green onions, pickled jalapenos, sliced olives, crunchy chickpeas, crumbled feta, diced avocados, etc.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with foil and set aside. Rinse sweet potatoes and poke with a fork or knife 5-6 times each. Place on foil lined baking sheet. Place potatoes in oven and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes to 1 hour until tender when pierced with a fork.
- While sweet potatoes are cooking, begin preparing ground turkey. In a large cast iron skillet or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles, add diced red onion, green bell pepper, and red bell pepper. Season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Stir to coat. Cook for 5-6 minutes or until onion is becoming tender. Add minced garlic and lemon juice and stir. Cook 1-2 minutes more until fragrant and liquid has reduced.
- Add ground turkey. Season with an additional 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper. Cook through, stirring occasionally to avoid burning, until no longer pink. Drain excess fat/grease out of pan.
- Add diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, chili powder, cinnamon, ground cumin, nutmeg, turmeric, smoked paprika, and ground mustard. Stir to combine. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- While turkey mixture is simmering, begin making yogurt sauce. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk. Set aside until ready to use.*
- Once sweet potatoes are done baking, remove from oven to slightly cool. Season turkey mixture to preferred taste (tasting before adding additional seasoning) with up to 1 teaspoon of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- To assemble potatoes, slice sweet potatoes into rounds, top with turkey mixture, drizzle with yogurt sauce, and add desired toppings.
- Store leftover turkey mixture in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in freezer for up to 3 months.
