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Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Boats

By Jen

While it can be exciting to try totally new foods and combinations, it’s also perfectly fine to stick with classic, comfortable favorites like these Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Boats. In my house, with two teens, busy schedules make it a challenge to get everyone around the dinner table at the same time. So, if I can make the meal preparation part easier with a simple dinner like this, that makes everything else go more smoothly!

This comfort-food recipe is one of our fall and winter favorites. The sloppy joe mixture includes a hefty dose of onions and peppers, and with an added veggie side like a leafy green salad (or, my lazy veggie side pictured here – pickles!), it’s a well-rounded real-food meal that even a picky eater can appreciate.

Here are some ways you can jump start your prep ahead of time, to get this dinner on the table even more quickly:

JUMP START:

  • Chop the onion and pepper earlier in the week, and store in refrigerator until use.
  • Sweet potatoes can be cooked ahead and stored in refrigerator until use. A quick reheat is all they’ll need.

If you’re going to spend time making this recipe, you might as well leverage your efforts and make a little bit extra of some of the ingredients to repurpose in other meals during the week. I like to call these my “Now & Laters” – I’m prepping some for now, and some for later use in other meals, with hardly any extra effort.

NOW & LATER:

  • The sloppy joe mixture freezes very well, so consider doubling that part of the recipe, so you can store a batch for a quick dinner another time. A 12-inch or larger skillet is best to use if doubling the recipe.
  • Throw extra sweet potatoes on the baking sheet, which will give you enough for another dinner later in the week, or to have with eggs at breakfast, or to tuck into a lunchbox or burrito bowl.
  • Wondering what to do with the rest of that tomato paste in the can? Scoop it out in tablespoon-size portions on a baking sheet or dish, and place in freezer. Once they’re frozen, remove from dish, and store them in the freezer in a container or ziploc bag. Let’s face it, you typically only need a tablespoon or two in a given recipe, so why buy a new can each time? This saves you the hassle of shopping for it over and over again.
Jen prepping sweet potatoes for the oven.
prepping sweet potatoes for the oven . . . with extra to use later in the week

Print Recipe
Sloppy Joe Sweet Potato Boats
Course Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef (If possible, choose grass-fed. I typically use 85% lean or 90% lean.)
  • 1 tbsp oil (I used extra virgin olive oil.)
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons Montreal seasoning Check label for “clean” ingredients. My favorite one is from Teeny Tiny Spice Company.
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper chopped
  • approx. 2 cups tomato sauce canned, not marinara
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean and cut in half lengthwise
Course Main Dishes
Servings
Ingredients
  • 1 lb ground beef (If possible, choose grass-fed. I typically use 85% lean or 90% lean.)
  • 1 tbsp oil (I used extra virgin olive oil.)
  • 1 1/4 tablespoons honey
  • 2 teaspoons Montreal seasoning Check label for “clean” ingredients. My favorite one is from Teeny Tiny Spice Company.
  • 1 medium onion chopped
  • 1 small red bell pepper chopped
  • approx. 2 cups tomato sauce canned, not marinara
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 medium sweet potatoes scrubbed clean and cut in half lengthwise
Instructions
For the Sloppy Joe mixture
  1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil and beef to the pan, spreading it around the pan to break it up. Add honey and Montreal seasoning, and stir to combine.
  2. When the meat has browned, add the onion and red pepper.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and cook for five minutes.
  4. Add vinegar, stirring briefly to reduce, then add Worcestershire sauce, tomato sauce and paste, stirring to combine.
  5. Reduce heat to simmer and cook Sloppy Joe mixture five minutes longer.
  6. Serve each portion of meat on ½ cup or so of baked sweet potato. If you want the "boat" effect, scoop out a bit of the potato to form a boat shape which is perfect for holding the sloppy joe meat. The extra, leftover sweet potato can be reserved for another meal.
For the sweet potatoes
  1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with parchment for easier clean up.
  2. Rinse potatoes and scrub clean. Cut in half lengthwise.
  3. Rub cut side with a little bit of oil, and then season with salt and pepper (or for any extra potatoes, add your favorite spices).
  4. Place cut side down on baking sheet, and bake for about 30 minutes (until soft).

Filed Under: Blog, Recipes Tagged With: comfort food, gluten-free, sloppy joes

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

By Jen

Batch cooked sweet potatoes . . . a regular on my meal plan

 

Have only a few minutes to squeeze in some meal prep today or tonight? Roasted sweet potatoes are the no-big-deal of meal prep. With very little effort and time, you can stockpile your fridge with ready-to-eat, nutrient-rich slow carbs that are great with breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Meal prep doesn’t always have to happen in one big session. Micro sessions, squeezed in when you have a little time to spare works great, too!

When I make roasted sweet potatoes, I love to use the Montreal blend from Teeny Tiny Spice Company, or a combo of chili powder & cumin. Whatever spice blend you choose, check the label to make sure it’s made with recognizable ingredients, and none of the junk that’s going to interfere with your health.

If you’re cooking organic potatoes, go right ahead and enjoy the eating the skin, too! It’s a good source of vitamins and minerals such as iron, potassium, and b vitamins, and contains a good dose of fiber, too. Conventional (not organic) potatoes are on the “dirty dozen” list when it comes to pesticide use, so, in that case, avoid eating the skin.

These roasted sweet potatoes can be tucked into just about any meal!

Print Recipe
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
(depends on amount of potatoes)
Ingredients
  • sweet potatoes
  • oil (avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil)
  • spices of your choice
  • salt and pepper
Course Salads & Side Dishes
Servings
(depends on amount of potatoes)
Ingredients
  • sweet potatoes
  • oil (avocado oil, olive oil, coconut oil)
  • spices of your choice
  • salt and pepper
Instructions
  1. Rinse potatoes and scrub clean. Cut in half lengthwise, rub cut side with a little bit of oil, and then season with salt and your favorite spices. I love to use the Montreal blend from Teeny Tiny Spice Company, or a combo of chili powder & cumin.
  2. Place cut side down on a baking sheet, and bake at 400F for about 30-40 minutes (until soft).
  3. Or, if you prefer, cut potatoes into wedges or cubes, and toss with some olive oil or avocado oil and whatever spices you enjoy. Roast at 425F until they are browned to your liking.

Filed Under: Meal Prep/Meal Planning Tips, Recipes Tagged With: potatoes, slow carbs

Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas and Taco Slaw

By Jen

If you need to feed a crowd and want to keep everyone happy AND keep yourself on track, this is your solution! Throw this in the slow cooker while you enjoy some pregame chill-time. Serve it buffet-style with some easy-peasy taco slaw (recipe below) and a choice of add-ons: black beans, brown rice, avocado, tomatoes, sour cream, lime wedges, tortillas. Whatever your guests’ needs – gluten-free, dairy-free, slow-carb, low-carb, all-the-carbs – everyone is covered! Buffet-style entertaining is an easy way to keep yourself on track with real food, fat-burning meals without having to prepare two different meals.


If you’re looking to stay lean or get lean and keep cravings in check, include some protein, fat, and slow-burning carbs on your plate. For this meal, your best bet would be pork, some avocado or sour cream, a hefty pile of the slaw, and some beans. Skip the processed carb tortillas, and if you really want some rice, keep the portion small.
For the carnitas recipe, check out http://fitmencook.com/slow-cooker-pulled-pork-carnitas/


Print Recipe


Taco Slaw

Course Main Dishes, Salads & Side Dishes
Cuisine Mexican

Servings


Ingredients
  • 1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced (or shred using food processor)
  • juice of one lime
  • big handful of chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil (For this recipe, I use high-oleic safflower oil or avocado oil.)
  • a dash ground cumin

Course Main Dishes, Salads & Side Dishes
Cuisine Mexican

Servings


Ingredients
  • 1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced (or shred using food processor)
  • juice of one lime
  • big handful of chopped cilantro
  • 1/2 medium red onion thinly sliced
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil (For this recipe, I use high-oleic safflower oil or avocado oil.)
  • a dash ground cumin


Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients.

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With: buffet, entertaining, gluten-free

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About Me:

Hi, I’m Jen, and welcome to Nourished Not Famished. Here you’ll find recipes, meal ideas, and wellness tips to thrive without deprivation, restriction, or calorie counting. Nourish yourself and your loved ones with the pleasures of eating real, whole foods, using familiar, easy-to-find ingredients and without spending endless hours in the kitchen.  Find out about more about me here.

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😆 Truth, right? Let's be real, grocery shopping 😆 Truth, right? Let's be real, grocery shopping isn't all that fun, but if you already have a clear plan in place *before* you shop, it feels a lot less overwhelming. And by "have a plan", I mean:
👉 Figure out *what* you (and your household?) are going to eat for meals in the coming days. Nope, it doesn't need to be perfect. 
(🎉I've broken that down for you into 6 bite-sized steps to help you get it done.🙂 Hit link in bio @nourished.not.famished to see it now on my blog!)
👉Then, make your shopping list based on your plan. 

I promise you . . . if you start with a plan before shopping, you will probably end up spending less, eating better, and reducing #foodwaste .
#winning 🙌🙌

❓So, what kind of grocery shopper are you? A planner? Just-wing-it? A little bit of both??

❓What's on your meal plan this week? 
❓How are you showing your Future Self (who *really* wants to make good choices) some love & support by planning ahead?

📷 photo by Suzanna Kreiter of The Boston Globe

#mealplan #mealprep #groceries #groceryshopping #adulting #simplenutrition #feedingmyfamily #ditchthediet #healthyhabits #healthymom #healthymoms 
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😍 Feelin' the #leftoverslove today! By Friday, 😍 Feelin' the #leftoverslove today! By Friday, who wants to think about actually cooking something, amirite?? 😩 
Making intentional leftovers whenever possible and/or batch cooking a few things is one of the BEST gifts you can give *your future self*. 

You know, that Future Self who had all sorts of intentions this week to eat delicious, nourishing, balanced meals that leave you feeling satisfied and energized? Yeah, that self. 😀 

I get it. You're probably a lot like I used to be.
👉 You have a good-enough sense of what you want to do/need to do.
👉 You often start out with a bang, but you quickly fizzle out. Life gets in the way. The changes you're making don't fit your life and your needs.
👉 You wonder if your problem is lack of willpower, that maybe you're just sucky at this "being healthy" stuff.

Yeah, I used to be that person who thought:
✴️ "I really should be eating more vegetables regularly, I mean I actually even like vegetables 🤷‍♀️."
✴️ "I know that I'm not regularly eating the amount of protein my body needs to thrive. I should do something about that."
✴️ "Ugh, why didn't I have any plan in place, anything at all! Now it's 6pm and WTF are we going to eat for dinner. I hate this feeling!"

I'm not that person anymore.
But that change didn't happen overnight, it didn't happen in a few weeks, it didn't happen in just a few short months.

And, no, everything's not perfect now. I don't always know what we're eating for dinner. I don't always have the most wonderful, prepped foods ready & waiting in the fridge. 

But I am prepared more often than not. And that's enough to make it work for me and my household. #youdoyou 

Instead of wishing for change then failing, I started taking tiny actions that, when done consistently, resulted in better choices most of the time. I worked on skillpower, not willpower.
Like:

👉 writing down a simple plan for at least some*of the meals for the week. 
👉 making intentional extras here and there
👉 batch cooking one or two items weekly, things we almost always eat (steel-cut oats, chicken, veggies- raw, roasted, quick-pickled, or in a soup)

❓How do you support your Future Self?
❓What's one thing you could try
West African inspired comfort food for dinner toni West African inspired comfort food for dinner tonight! 😍 This peanut-y, veggie-packed sweet potato stew was super quick to make, and totally satisfied. And the whole fam agreed that we should add it to the dinner recipe "bank". 🎉 It was fun to try something that was new-to-us, yet easy to make!

You can grab the recipe for this stew (known as "Mafe") over at @oldways_pt , along with plenty of other inspiring recipes & meal ideas centered on delicious, healthy, nourishing "old ways" of eating found in heritage-based diets and shared cultural food traditions from around the world. 

I added some spiced lamb meatballs to the stew, too. They're a good batch-cooking item, because we can use the extras in bowl meals or a soup or stew this weekend! 

✳️Here's my recipe for Spiced Lamb Meatballs✳️
I cooked in #instantpot but oven would work well too (at 375F or so)

Combine in a bowl:
👉 ground lamb
👉 diced onion (I used red, use what you've got.)
👉 minced garlic
👉 ground cumin
👉 ground coriander
👉 fresh parsley, chopped

Roll into small meatball size (I used a small 1.5 tbsp or so cookie/muffin scoop to portion out, and then rolled by hand).

Place trivet in Instant Pot. Pour in 1/2 cup water.

Place meatballs on trivet. Gently stack if necessary.

Close with lid, set to sealing, and cook at high pressure for 7 minutes. Wait for 2 minutes and then release remaining pressure using Quick Release method.

Would love to know if you try it, or if perhaps you're already a fan of this stew.🙂

#ilovefood #honoryourhunger #africanheritagerecipe #inspired #eeeats #whatsfordinner #feedingmyfamily #nutritiousisdelicious #simplenutrition #nourished #nourishednotfamished #omnivore #plantforward #veggies #slowcarbs
My "If-Then" plan saves dinner . . . again! 😀 W My "If-Then" plan saves dinner . . . again! 😀 What do you keep on hand in your fridge, freezer, and pantry that you know you can almost always throw together to get dinner on the table in a pinch? What's your back-pocket dinner that gets you through when you are one step from throwing the towel in and ordering takeout?

Tonight's back-pocket-dinner here is turkey meatballs, lentil pasta, marinara, and arugula salad. I also had some kale on hand that I washed and stored earlier in the week, so I shredded that and added it into the sauce. #moreveggies 😀

Your If-Then plans are your ready-to-go steps to take "if" life throws you a curveball (hello, like happens all the time, right?🤷‍♀️). 

✴️*If* a challenge gets in your way of following through on your healthy intentions, like:
-your meeting runs late
-your kids' practice wrapped up a half hour later than planned
-you don't have the foods on hand to make the dinner you planned on
-or maybe you're just plain ol' out of gas.

✳️*Then*, what is your backup plan that still helps you stay relatively on-target with your goals? 

I just about always have the pictured foods on hand, so I know I can easily throw together a tasty, nourishing meal without overthinking it and without a lot of fuss. 
👉frozen turkey meatballs
👉 marinara
👉 lentil pasta
👉 tub of greens
👉 frozen veggies (easy to add into the sauce!)
👉 olive oil and vinegar (or lemon) for a quick dressing

What's your If-Then back-pocket plan that works for you?

#simplenutrition #whatsfordinner #nutritiousisdelicious #healthymadeeasier #healthyhabits #shapethepath #tinyhabits #behaviorchange #nourished #nourishednotfamished #balancedplate #plantforward #omnivore #slowcarbs #ifthen
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