Brown Butter Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

7 steps · 1h 35m total

1. 01

   Prep and First Bake

   Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Poke your sweet potatoes with a fork and place them directly on the oven rack, with a piece of foil on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until they're tender when squeezed.
2. 02

   Cool Potatoes, Brown Butter

   Remove the potatoes from the oven and let them stand at room temperature until they're cool enough to handle, about 20-30 minutes. Keep the oven on.

   While the potatoes cool, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until brown bits begin to form at the bottom of the pan, which should take about 5-6 minutes. Watch it closely here; butter can go from nutty brown to burnt very quickly. Once you see those brown flecks and smell a toasted, nutty aroma, pull the pan from the heat immediately and set the butter aside.

3. 03

   Scoop and Fill

   Cut the tops off of the sweet potatoes lengthwise. Scoop the flesh into a medium bowl, leaving the skins intact. To the bowl, add the brown butter, 2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, 3/4 of the chopped bacon, and 4 ounces of the goat cheese.
4. 04

   Season and Mash

   Sprinkle with salt and black pepper to taste, then mash the ingredients together until combined. Scoop the filling back into the sweet potato skins.
5. 05

   Second Bake

   Place the filled potatoes on a baking sheet lined with foil or parchment paper. Return them to the oven to bake for another 25 minutes.
6. 06

   Make Avocado Cream

   While the potatoes bake for the second time, prepare the avocado cream. In a food processor or blender, combine the avocados, sour cream, and buttermilk. Add a dash of salt and pepper, then pulse until the mixture is completely smooth and creamy.
7. 07

   Finish and Serve

   Once the potatoes have finished baking, remove them from the oven. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley, bacon, and goat cheese. Drizzle generously with the avocado cream and serve immediately.