Twice-baked Sweet Potatoes With Leeks And Sausage

Total Time: 1 hr 40 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 2 large sweet potatoes (i like the garnet variety, with dark skins and orange flesh)
• 1/2 lb sweet italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 large leek, chopped ( part only)
• 1 teaspoon fresh sage, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt (to taste)
• 1/4 cup gruyere cheese, grated

Recipe

• 1 heat the oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.
• 2 prick the sweet potatoes with the tip of a knife; place on a baking sheet.
• 3 bake for 1 hour, or until completely tender.
• 4 in a medium skillet over medium high heat, crumble the sausage.
• 5 cook until all trace of pink is gone. it doesn't need to be brown, just cooked through.
• 6 drain any excess fat and set aside.
• 7 in the same pan, melt the butter over medium low heat.
• 8 add the leeks, sage, and thyme.
• 9 cook until the leeks are soft and starting to turn golden.
• 10 remove the leeks from the pan and set aside with the sausage.
• 11 cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise.
• 12 carefully scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl, leaving 1/8 inch of flesh around the edge, so the skin will not fall apart when you fill it.
• 13 place the empty skins on a baking sheet.
• 14 preheat broiler, placing the rack about 6 inches from the heat.
• 15 mash the sweet potato flesh until smooth; add the sour cream and kosher salt, mixing to combine.
• 16 add the sausage and leeks and mix well.
• 17 taste for seasoning, and add more salt if needed.
• 18 scoop the sweet potato mixture back into the skins; top with the grated cheese.
• 19 place in the oven and broil until the cheese starts to brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. remove from oven.
• 20 cut each potato in half to make two servings. (if you used small potaotes, you won't need to do this).