15 Delicious Ways To Stuff A Sweet Potato (Besides Marshmallows)

There are so many different types of potatoes out there, but sweet potatoes are arguably one of the most beloved. Not only do they have that beautiful orange flesh, but they offer a subtle, earthy sweetness that you're not going to find from any other variety out there. And if we're talking Japanese sweet potatoes? You're getting a deliciously cakey texture that tastes like dessert without any add-ons at all. Sweet potatoes are also incredibly nutritious and quite versatile — you can use them in a wide range of recipes. However, one of our favorite ways to eat a sweet potato is also one of the simplest: baked and stuffed with tasty fillings.

Of course, marshmallows are the classic pairing for sweet potatoes, but you don't have to stick with this super-sweet and sugary take on the root vegetable. There are a ton of other sweet and savory stuffings that can make for an excellent meal or dessert. The best news? You probably have some of them in your kitchen right now. Read up on some of the best fillings for sweet potatoes, and you'll want to keep them stocked in your pantry year-round.

Shawarma is, of course, delicious in its standard presentation, but that doesn't mean you can't switch it up and try the fillings in a different format. Our recipe for shawarma-ish stuffed sweet potatoes turns a simple baked sweet potato into an entire filling dinner, complete with delicious, thinly sliced marinated beef, although you can also use chicken if you tend to prefer chicken shawarma. Adding chickpeas to the equation makes things even more filling, and spinach adds some green freshness to the equation.

Of course, you can stop there, and you'll have a top-notch meal. But to really make things restaurant-quality, consider adding some additional toppings. Recipe developer Michelle McGlinn suggests tahini and cilantro, which provide the perfect combo of freshness and richness. However, you can also experiment with other toppings, from tzatziki to hot sauce to chopped green onions and beyond. Choose ingredients that you'd typically find in shawarma, or switch it up with whatever you have on hand.

Broccoli and cheddar are two ingredients that go together in so many different formats. Of course, there's the iconic broccoli cheddar soup, and sometimes you'll see broccoli cheddar baked potatoes. While the standard russet potato provides a nice, neutral base for this cheesy dish, you can create a more colorful and/or sweet take on the original by using a sweet potato instead. This adds an element of sweetness and complexity to the dish that really takes things to the next level.

This is also a really easy meal to make. All you have to do is open up your baked sweet potato, add some steamed broccoli, and sprinkle grated cheddar on top before microwaving it for a few seconds to melt that cheese. Of course, you don't have to stick with cheddar if you don't want to — there are plenty of other cheeses to employ here as well, like Parmesan and goat cheese. And if you're trying to take this dish from a basic dinner to a standout dish, try making a homemade cheese sauce for an even richer topping.

Beef and sweet potatoes are one of our all-time favorite food combos. The richness and savoriness of the beef pairs exceptionally well with the sweetness from the potatoes, giving you a subtle swalty flavor that doesn't even need any accoutrements. But why stop at the basics when you could concoct an even more delicious meal with a few simple additions? Tasting Table recipe developer Michelle McGlinn adds a dollop of whipped feta along with pickled onions to a ground beef-topped baked sweet potato for a dish that will make your dinner feel kind of fancy. She also sprinkles parsley on the dish for a touch of green freshness.

Sure, there are about a million other toppings you could use on a beef-topped sweet potato. But in this recipe, the combo of all of the different textures and flavors coming together feels curated and intentional, making it an easy dinner when you want something that's easy and elevated at the same time.

Here's another common potato-stuffing idea that you usually see with russet potatoes: chili. A rich, meaty chili with plenty of beans is just what a baked potato needs, since it adds moisture, flavor, and just enough bulk to the dish. But when you're looking for a nice, balanced sweetness for your chili, using a sweet potato instead of a russet potato or other variety is the way to go.

A standard, beefy chili probably seems like the most obvious choice, since it's what most people think of when they hear the word "chili." However, there are so many different chili recipes out there that you can pair with a baked sweet potato. If you want a veggie-friendly take on the dish, opt for a bean-only chili, or if you're looking for something a bit lighter, you can always top your potato with a white chicken chili. And for something really different, try our recipe for taco al pastor-style pork chili — it may be an unconventional chili option, but pork pairs especially well with sweet potato.

A lot of people think of buffalo chicken as strictly a dip. Sure, it may taste good with crackers when it's served on a game-day spread, but too many don't see it as an everyday type of dish that can be used as part of a complete meal. But today, that changes for you, since you now know about buffalo chicken-stuffed sweet potatoes. In this recipe by Tasting Table recipe developer Jessica Morone, the potatoes are baked, and then their flesh is mashed and placed back into the skins. This yields a nice, even texture, but you can always just stick to a standard baked sweet potato if you don't want to go through the fuss of the extra step.

What truly makes this recipe so good is the chicken itself, though. Buffalo sauce-marinated chicken thighs add a tangy flavor and plenty of protein to the dish, while the creamy buttermilk and blue cheese dressing creates the flavor contrast that's so needed here. Don't forget to top everything with chives for that last necessary bit of freshness.

When you're using sweet potatoes for savory applications, you're usually trying to achieve a good flavor balance. But if you want that balance to lean slightly toward the sweeter end of the spectrum, then it might be worth it to fill your sweet potato with a combination of ham and pineapple. The best way to do this is to dice some ham, caramelize it with sugar, pineapple juice, and tamari or soy sauce, and add fresh pineapple to the mix. Then, pile it all onto your baked sweet potato.

Because ham tends to be so salty and savory, it can really stand up to the otherwise exceptionally sweet flavors in this dish. Yes, you're working with a lot of sweet elements here, from the pineapple to the sugar to the sweet potato itself. But in addition to the ham, you also have a splash of savoriness from the soy sauce to further even things out. An herbal topping, like some chopped chives or scallions, could add the sharpness and freshness the meal needs.

In many cases, you can switch out the typical carb or starch a recipe calls for and replace it with a sweet potato and get delicious results. This is certainly true when it comes to tacos. Instead of putting your taco fillings into tortillas, you can always stuff them into a sweet potato for an undeniably delicious dinner mashup. And because taco toppings can vary so much, you have a lot of latitude to work with different ingredients if you decide to take your sweet potato this route.

Want to keep things vegetarian or vegan? Stick with a base of beans, and load up on as many veggies as you can. If you're looking for something meatier, try the taco seasoning-flavored beef you often find in Americanized tacos, or go for carnitas or carne asada for something a bit more elaborate. You can never go wrong with the classic combo of cilantro and onion to finish off your taco-fied stuffed sweet potatoes.

You'll often see bacon used as a topping for russet baked potatoes, but did you know that it can be an excellent topping for sweet potatoes as well? In fact, it might even be better. That's because you're working with two ingredients that have two very different flavors and textures. Sweet potatoes have a creamy, soft texture and subtle, earthy sweetness to them, while bacon is crispy, fatty, and supremely salty. The contrast these different qualities create is bound to be delicious, even if you don't add any other ingredients to the mix.

Because bacon is so fatty, it pretty much negates the need for butter (although we certainly won't judge if you want to add that as well). Its saltiness means that you can probably even get away with skipping salt, too. For best results, though, stay away from packaged bacon bits — they won't offer the same crunch and richness you're looking for. Rather, you're better off cooking bacon from scratch and using it to stuff your sweet potato while it's still hot and crispy.

Sometimes, the simplest food combos are the most delicious. While some of the ideas on this list involve prepping several different ingredients, this one is way more streamlined. We love blue cheese as a sweet potato topping because it's a treat that comes together quickly and offers way more flavor and complexity than you might assume at first glance. Blue cheese is funky and acidic, which helps it create a contrast with sweet and creamy sweet potatoes. There's enough tang that it shines through all that sugar, while the earthiness of the sweet potatoes keeps the cheese from tasting too overpowering.

You can still embrace this flavor combo without straight blue cheese, though. Blue cheese dressing can be an easy addition to your sweet potato that also provides some extra moisture. And if you want to make it a whole meal, you can always include some meat or beans in the mix. If you're a true blue cheese lover, though, this is an unusual flavor combination you shouldn't miss out on.

Something we love about sweet potatoes is their rich and luscious texture. While a lot of potato varieties are kind of grainy, that's not what you get from sweet potatoes at all — their richness is a big part of what makes them so appealing. Although some of the ideas on this list are all about creating contrast with the natural qualities of sweet potatoes, this one is about really leaning into that lovely creaminess with even more of that beautiful texture in the form of hummus. These are two foods that work together in a really complementary way. Not only do they have real similarities in texture, but they also both tap into a similar rich, nutty earthiness.

Plain, basic hummus is always going to be delicious and make a tasty topping for your sweet potato, but you can also use or make flavored hummus that can add extra pops of flavor to the meal. Beet hummus can make for an especially brightly colored topping for a truly beautiful plate, while garlic hummus can provide the perfect extra level of savoriness.

Yes, a sweet potato is absolutely different from the russet potatoes often used to make baked potatoes, but it's not different to the point that it can't handle most of the same toppings. That's why you might want to consider the most basic baked potato toppings for your next sweet potato. This includes sour cream, chives, bacon, and cheddar cheese. Have we mentioned some of these ingredients elsewhere on this list? Yes. But in this case, all four are used together for that classic baked potato flavor.

This combination of ingredients works on a sweet potato for the same reasons it works on a russet potato. There's creaminess, fattiness, and freshness, all working together to take a humble potato to new heights. Using a sweet potato, though, just adds an extra layer of sweetness to the dish while still maintaining that savory profile. A baked potato is a baked potato is a baked potato, whether we're talking about more neutral-tasting varieties or opting for sweet potatoes.

It's true that sweet potatoes with marshmallows are sometimes considered a side dish, but we ultimately believe that the combo is actually a dessert. So, why not incorporate more dessert-like ingredients, like chocolate chips, into the mix? Not only does this give you a much richer, sweeter flavor without any additional sugar, but if you're using a freshly baked sweet potato that's still hot, you'll also get the decadent texture of melted chocolate. Be sure to mix that melted chocolate and the sweet potato flesh together well to really take advantage of the marriage of those two textures.

So, how do you decide whether you want to use milk chocolate or dark chocolate? It really just comes down to your sweetness level preference. For a sweeter and creamier sweet potato-based dessert, milk chocolate chips are probably the way to go. On the other hand, if you want to balance out some of that sweetness, dark chocolate may be a better choice, since it offers a nice touch of bitterness. Regardless of which chocolate variety you choose, you should sprinkle some flaky salt on top before you dig in. This ingredient also provides more balance in the dessert, as well as a touch of crunchiness.

You may think of sweet potatoes as an ingredient that you'd mostly eat for lunch or dinner. Generally, in American culinary culture at least, sweet potatoes aren't really regarded as a breakfast food. However, you shouldn't let the time of day limit your sweet potato intake. If you're craving one in the morning, you should go ahead and indulge for a sweet start to your day. And what better way to enjoy a sweet potato for breakfast than with some eggs?

Like sweet potatoes, eggs are quite versatile, and you can use them in different forms as a sweet potato pairing. Scrambled eggs work well if you really want to be able to mix the two ingredients together, but a fried egg can be a better option if you're looking for some crispiness. And if you're craving a deliciously runny yolk, poached eggs might be the move. Although you can keep things simple with just an egg as a solo topping for your sweet potato, it's also possible to add other flavors into the equation. Black beans, fresh veg, herbs, salsa, or guacamole can amp up the flavor of your potato-based breakfast even more

There are times when you want to dig into a meal that makes you feel your best. Such a meal is packed with a variety of nutritious foods that deliver fiber, protein, and everything else you need to function well. This is when it might make sense to add a fresh quinoa salad to your baked sweet potato. You can start by constructing your salad, adding fresh flavors that provide a crunchy texture to the dish. The options are really limitless here, but you can start by trying out this Thai quinoa salad or roasted veggie pesto quinoa salad. Otherwise, just use the veg you already have in your fridge that you need to use up before your next grocery run.

The quinoa, with its earthiness and unique texture, pairs well with sweet potatoes, which in some ways echo quinoa's flavor but also provide some creamy textural contrast. And, of course, you can never go wrong by adding more vegetables into the mix. Include some source of protein as well to make this a more complete meal. Since you can prep the quinoa salad ahead of time, it makes for an easy meal prep.

When you want a dessert that's not too sweet but offers all the creaminess and fatty decadence you could want in a treat, yogurt and tahini should be your go-to sweet potato fillings. For a more balanced bite, use plain Greek yogurt, which can give the dish a nice tang and balance out some of that sweetness. Tahini adds an earthy flair and signature nuttiness that pairs well with the warm, comforting flavors of sweet potato itself. What both of these ingredients have in common, though, is their creaminess, which adds to the potato's already creamy flavor. Playing up that texture even more makes for a dessert that feels extra rich.

If you prefer a more subtle, restrained sweetness, you can stop with just these two ingredients. However, if you're looking for an even sweeter touch, feel free to add some sort of liquid sweetener to the mix. Maple syrup, for instance, can give the sweet potato a really pleasant complexity while guaranteeing an even sweeter flavor profile. Honey is also an excellent option if you have some on hand.