Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes with Sage and Pecans

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Servings:
8

In twice-baked sweet potatoes, the flesh is mashed with pureed cottage cheese, shallots, sage, salt, and pepper. The mixture is then spooned back into the potato-skin shells, sprinkled with additional sage and chopped pecans, and baked for a second time -- the pecan bits toast and turn golden brown in the oven.

Ingredients

  • 8 sweet potatoes (about 5 pounds)

  • 1 ⅓ cups finely chopped shallots (about 8 ounces)

  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon freshly chopped sage

  • 1 ⅓ cups low-fat cottage cheese

  • 1 ¼ teaspoons salt

  • ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  • ¼ cup coarsely chopped pecans (about 16 pecan halves)

  • Olive-oil cooking spray

Directions

  1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Use a fork to prick holes in sweet potatoes; place them on a baking sheet. Place in oven; bake until fork-tender, about 45 minutes. Remove from oven, and allow to cool slightly. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Cut sweet potatoes in half. Remove skin from one half, and discard. Place potato flesh in a medium bowl. Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop out inside of the other half, leaving skin intact, and add flesh to bowl.

  2. Meanwhile, heat a medium saute pan coated with olive-oil cooking spray over medium heat. Add shallots, and saute until translucent, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon sage, and saute until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat, and place in the bowl of a food processor. Add cottage cheese, salt, and pepper, and puree until smooth. Add to sweet potato, and mash with a hand masher until smooth. Spoon mixture back into skins; sprinkle with chopped pecans and remaining teaspoon sage. Place in an 11-by-16-inch baking pan. Return to oven; bake until hot and pecans are toasted, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven; serve.

Cook's Notes

Try to find sweet potatoes that are the same size to ensure even baking time and equal serving sizes.

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