This easy sweet potato and ground beef skillet is one of my favorite healthy, high protein dinners made with sweet potatoes, seasoned saucy ground beef and simple spices! Save this for weeknight dinners and easy meal prep ideas!
Try some of my other favorite cozy healthy meals like this are spaghetti squash lasagna boats and teriyaki salmon rice bowls!
Why you need to make this healthy sweet potato and ground beef skillet!
- High Protein and Satisfying: we have this running joke around our house that we almost always want something ‘healthy and delicious’ for weeknight dinners and this dinner fits the bill. It’s filled with high protein from the seasoned ground beef and high in fiber from the sweet potatoes and also tastes delicious and is very satisfying
- Easy dinner to make! It’s as simple as roasting sweet potatoes and cooking up seasoned ground beef in a skillet. Your toppings are where you can have fun and creative with added flavors
- Great for meal prep: if you like to meal prep for the week, this is a great option! Follow the instructions below for quick reheating for lunch or dinner
- Great flavor! I get the same feeling eating this as I do eating a cozy bowl of chili that has been simmering on the stovetop for hours. It’s full of flavor and spices that make you feel like you’re eating something rich and delicious
Ingredients:
- sweet potatoes
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- garlic cloves
- kosher salt
- cracked black pepper
- lean ground beef 90/10
- (2) package taco seasoning
- tomato paste
- Worcestershire sauce
- cornstarch
- water or beef stock
- Toppings:
- jalapenos
- avocado slices
- sour cream or greek yogurt
- feta cheese
- cilantro
How to make this healthy sweet potato and ground beef skillet:
Roast the sweet potatoes:
Cut your whole sweet potatoes in half length wise (mine were medium size). Place them on a large sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Rub the halves with an even layer of extra virgin olive oil. Sprinkle both sides evenly with kosher salt and cracked black pepper.
**The most important part! Lay your sweet potatoes down with the flat side down. This will insure a nice glazed sweet potato. Bake at 400 F for about 30-40 minutes or until they pierce easily with a fork
Cook the seasoned ground beef:
In a medium sized skillet (I’ve been using my saute pan for everything lately!) cook your onions and garlic until transluscent and fragrant. Remove and then add in your lean ground beef. Cook until mostly cooked through and then add the taco seasoning, tomato paste and cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce up!
Assemble:
Add 1-2 sweet potato halves to your plate. Top with 1-2 scoops of the saucy seasoned ground beef over the potatoes. Then top with an assortment of toppings like avocado slices, sour cream, jalapeños, feta cheese and cilantro.
Tips for the Perfect roasted sweet potatoes:
- Cut potatoes evenly: potatoes are sometimes challenging to cut. They’re huge and hard and… you get it. I always sharpen my knife beforehand, work on a good solid cutting board and try to cut them evenly in half so they cook at the same time.
- Line your sheet pan with parchment paper: save yourself the clean up. No one wants to be scrubbing burnt sheet pans after dinner… we’ve got shows to watch ya know?
- Don’t crowd your potatoes: give each potato room to breath and cook, don’t let them touch each other.
- Roasting time: we’re cooking the potatoes at a high heat (400 F) for that nice crispy skin but the cook times will range based on your potato. Small potato – 25-30 minutes, medium potato – 30-40 minutes and large potatoes 40-45 minutes. You’re looking for the fork to pierce the potato easily to test for doneness.
how to store and reheat the sweet potatoes and ground beef:
This sweet potato and ground beef skillet makes for GREAT healthy meal prep and reheats like a dream. Store any leftover potatoes and beef in separate air tight containers. To reheat:
sweet potatoes:
- Air Fryer: my number one choice. Pop them in at 350 F for 5-6 minutes
- Oven: reheat on a sheet pan at 325 F for 10-12 minutes or until warm
- Microwave: place on a microwave safe dish and heat for 1-1 minute and 30 seconds
saucy seasoned beef:
- Stovetop: my preferred method. Add your portion of beef mixture to a small non-stick skillet with a couple tbsp of water. Loosen up with a wooden spoon and heat on medium-low heat until sizzling and rehydrated
- Microwave: if you must… place into a bowl and add a few tbsp of water. Mix together and heat for 45-60 seconds until warmed…
Leave a comment below if you make this dill pickle cheese ball recipe and tag me on instagram @elizabethvanlierde !
Healthy Sweet Potato and Ground Beef Skillet
ingredients
For potatoes:
- 4 medium sweet potatoes halved
- Olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
For ground beef:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1 yellow onion finely diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- Kosher salt
- Cracked black pepper
- 2 lbs lean ground beef
- 2 packages taco seasoning
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- ¾ cup water
Toppings:
- Finely chopped jalapeños
- Avocado slices
- Sour cream or greek yogurt
- Feta cheese
- Chopped cilantro
instructions
For roasted sweet potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400 F. Wash and dry sweet potatoes and cut in half length wise. Line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Drizzle potato halves with a light layer of olive oil and rub all over the potatoes. Sprinkle evenly with kosher salt and cracked black pepper. Place onto the sheet pan flat side down. This will ensure a crispy, caramelized top.
- Bake potatoes for 35 minutes or until a fork pierces through them evenly.
For spiced saucy beef:
- Heat a medium size skillet over medium heat. Add in olive oil and yellow onion, sprinkle with kosher salt and a few turns of freshly cracked black pepper. Saute for 4-5 minutes or until golden and translucent. Add in fresh garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes more or until fragrant.
- Remove onion from pan and into a side bowl. Add in ground beef and break up with a wooden spoon. Cook for 7-8 minutes or until the ground beef is browned, no longer pink and mostly cooked through.
- Add in tomato paste and two packs of taco seasoning and stir together. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.
- In a small bowl mix together Worcestershire sauce, cornstarch, and water until smooth. Add liquid mixture to the beef and stir together.
- Add the onions mixture back in and allow the mixture to cook for 2-3 minutes or until it has thickened up and become saucy. Remove from heat and serve.
Potato Assembly:
- Top one potato half with 1-2 scoops of the saucy beef mixture.
- Top with a scoop of sour cream or greek yogurt, avocado slices, chopped jalapenos, a sprinkle of feta cheese and a little freshly chopped cilantro.
I made this the other night and it was delicious! The flavors combine to make this dinner irresistible. My husband and I were both raving about it, and will be making this again!