Twice Baked Maple Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Source: North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission

Sweet potato fries might have started the wave of popularity for this orange vegetable, but menus are now branching out into other preparations. To go with the Texas BBQ served at her authentic New York City restaurant, chef Karmel pumps up the flavor of baked sweet potatoes with chipotles and maple. It’s a winning combo of heat and sweet, mellowed by a little goat cheese.  

Steps

1. Scrub sweet potatoes with a rough brush or veggie cleaner; dry well. Coat sweet potatoes with a thin layer of olive oil. With fork, prick sweet potatoes all over, about six times.
2. Preheat grill to high. Place sweet potatoes in center of cooking grate; grill-roast about 1 hr., turning once halfway, until the skin is crisp and the inside is meltingly soft, about 1 hr. Remove from grill. (Or bake in 400’F. oven 1 hr. until tender but not mushy.) Cool to lukewarm.
3. Choose the 4 potatoes with the most complete skin and cut them in half lengthwise. Leaving a ½-in. margin of the potato intact, with a spoon, scoop out the flesh and place in container of food processor or blender; reserve shells. Peel remaining 2 sweet potatoes and add flesh to food processor, discarding skins.
4. Add yogurt, maple syrup, chipotle, cinnamon and salt to sweet potatoes; process or blend until a smooth puree. Place puree in a piping bag or spoon mixture into reserved shells; top with goat cheese.
5. Place sweet potatoes on a rack over a baking sheet; bake in 350°F oven until filling is warmed through and cheese is melted and lightly brown, about 25 min.
6. To serve, garnish with toasted pepitas.