Sweet Potatoes are the perfect comfort food. They offer a dense, sweet, creamy texture and a loaded with vitamin C, potassium and beta-carotene. These nutritional properties are often linked with helping to reduce inflammation and may reduce chances for cancer and heart disease*.

This recipe doesn’t use high sugar or high fat ingredients to make these already delicious sweet potatoes bad for you. There is so much flavor within the potato itself, it’s silly to mask it!

Twice Baked Thyme Sweet Potatoes Ingredients

4 medium sized sweet potatoes

3 tbsp fresh thyme, plus extra for garnish

1 tsp Red Pepper flakes

1 tsp walnut oil

3/4 tsp sea salt

¼ cup fresh parmigiano reggiano (optional)

lemon zest for garnish

This recipe is great for multi-tasking. Since the potatoes take a while in the oven, I usually make this dish when I’m undertaking other recipes that may take a bit more active time.

Heat oven to 425°F. Wrap fork-pricked sweet potatoes in aluminum foil (heavy duty works best) and place on a baking sheet. Bake the sweet potatoes for about 45-60 minutes. The potatoes should be soft and easy to cut into.

Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven and let cool until you’re able to handle them. Boost the oven temperature to 450°F.

Run a knife length-wise down the potato and scoop contents into a large mixing bowl. Combine the sweet potatoes with the thyme, red pepper flakes, walnut oil and sea salt. Spoon the sweet potato mixture into small ramekins, or mini tart pans and place on baking sheet. If you don't have either on hand, you can also use a cupcake pan! If desired, sprinkle the top with the grated parmigiano reggiano cheese. Bake for another 5-10 minutes. Baking time will depend on the size of the ramekins or tart pans you’re using.

Once the sweet potatoes are finished (the cheese is melted), remove them from the oven and sprinkle with a few thyme leaves and lemon zest.

Enjoy! 

*Reader’s Digest: http://www.rd.com/health/the-health-properties-of-sweet-potatoes/