Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Quinoa and Kale Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why are my twice baked potatoes falling apart? ›

Do not wrap the potatoes in foil before baking. It softens the shells and will make them fall apart. Baking them unwrapped makes the skins crispy and stronger, which will help keep the potatoes together when scooping out the flesh and filling them.

When you bake sweet potatoes, the peel's nutrition value decreases. Also, approximately two-thirds of the antioxidants are lost but microwaving or boiling is gentler. The remainder of the sweet potato is the same way. Baking can also reduce vitamin A levels by 80%, twice as much as boiling.

Generally, diced sweet potatoes take 7 to 12 minutes; cubed sweet potatoes take 12 to 15 minutes; and whole potatoes take anywhere between 20 to 50 minutes, depending on size. You'll know the potatoes are done when they reach a fork-tender consistency, or when the flesh easily yields to the tip of a sharp knife.

It's really the best way. Microwaving sweet potatoes cuts down cook time by 45 to 55 minutes, and, according to a 2018 study, helps maintain the potato's nutritional value. All cooking methods cause foods to lose some of their nutrients, but the quicker your potato cooks, the more nutrients it will retain.

Tip! To keep twice baked sweet potatoes from falling apart, be careful not to scoop out too much of the filling. If you scoop too close to the skin, the potato may become flimsy and fall apart.

If you enjoy sweet potatoes, you can absolutely enjoy them daily. However, eating multiple sweet potatoes every day could cause a harmless condition called carotenodermia, where your skin turns yellow-orange. You may also want to be cautious about your sweet potato intake if you have a history of kidney stones.

Boiling may actually retain most of the antioxidant power of sweet potatoes, compared to roasting and steaming. If we compare baking to boiling microscopically, boiling helps thin out the cell walls and gelatinize the starch, which may enhance the bioavailability of nutrients.

“Sweet potatoes are a source of carbohydrates, which raise blood sugars,” says White. “People with diabetes can eat carbs but need to watch portions of foods with carbs.” What this means: Limit portions to half a sweet potato per meal or snack.

Weight Loss Because of High Fibre Content of Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are high in fiber, which might aid in weight loss and belly fat reduction. Sweet potatoes' high fiber content makes you feel 'full' after a meal, which helps you keep to a calorie-restricted diet.

The longer and slower you cook a sweet potato, the more maltose is formed and the sweeter it will taste. So if you want a much less sweet potato try steaming it, or cut it into small pieces and roast on a higher heat.

Are sweet potatoes healthier than baked potatoes? ›

Though they can both be part of a healthy diet, sweet potatoes are generally healthier than regular potatoes, partly because of their incredibly high vitamin A content. Sweet potatoes are also lower on the glycemic index, meaning that they are less likely than regular potatoes to make your blood sugar spike.

No need to wrap your potatoes in foil though—you want them to really feel that oven heat, rather than steam. The skins: Removing the skin is completely up to you. I personally enjoy the texture of sweet potato skin, and you'll get some added nutrients and fiber.

If you don't cook it long enough, it may still be hard in the middle when you cut into it. After cooking, make sure a fork can go into the center of the potato without much resistance. If it still seems hard, continue to cook it in 30-second increments, checking for doneness.

If your potatoes have been growing in very dry soil, the potatoes themselves will have a fairly low moisture content when harvested. What this then means is that when the potatoes are build they absorb more water and fall to pieces quite quickly.

Gently Boil

Adding salt to the water enhances the flavor of the potatoes. Once the water reaches a boil, carefully add the potatoes and reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Boiling the potatoes too vigorously can cause them to break apart.

The curdling is caused by high heat, which is hard to avoid in an oven. So to keep the sauce together, tackle it before the dish goes in the oven.

If you want to use a conventional oven to reheat them, place any leftover potatoes on a baking sheet and over with foil. Bake at 425 degrees Farenheit for about 15 minutes. My favorite way to reheat them, though, is in the air fryer.