Sweet Potato with Kale, Mushrooms, and Pancetta

Perfect Pairing – Deli Counter

Well I have stuffed potatoes with arugula and parmesan….

Fajita inspired ingredients…

And all of this stuff…

 

BUT I have yet to do anything with sweet potatoes.  Until now!

This was one of those random dinners you throw together to try to use what you have on hand.  In this case I had kale, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes.  I was thrilled with the result.  It was super hearty and healthy (ignore the small amount of pancetta).  Kale and sweet potatoes are powerhouse ingredients, full of nutrients.  It may not be beautiful, but it was darn tasty.

Freshly grated nutmeg is a great complement to dark greens, so I used that in my version but it is optional if you don’t feel like investing in nutmeg.  Personally, I love having a few whole nutmegs on hand and I grate them on my microplane.   

I topped the potato off with a dollop of ricotta mixed with parmesan and salt and pepper.  It kind of acts like sour cream here.  If you are following the paleo diet, which is incredibly popular right now, you could leave the ricotta off. 

One of my biggest annoyances is waiting at the deli counter at my grocery store. There is always a line and I swear they could move much faster.  I hate pulling my number out of that little machine and realizing I am 12 people from the front of the line.  Ugh.  I decided to stick it out when I was making this, because I knew I could save a fair amount of money.  I bought the pancetta and ricotta from the deli.  I was able to get the exact amount I needed and I think I saved about $7.  Totally worth the wait.  You could also use bacon if you are not feeling the pancetta.

If you have leftovers they are great repurposed for breakfast.  I chopped up the leftovers (potato, kale, mushrooms, and pancetta) and sauteed them in a skillet until lightly browned and topped it off with some ricotta and a fried egg.  Whoa.  It didn't suck.

Sweet Potato with Kale, Mushrooms, and Pancetta

Lindsay at Perfecting the Pairing
Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients:

·         ¼ lb pancetta, chopped (you could use bacon)

·         4 shallots, thinly sliced

·         8 oz sliced mushrooms

·         6 cups roughly torn kale (stems removed)

·         ¼ tsp red pepper flakes

·         ¼ tsp freshly grated nutmeg, optional

·         ¾ cup ricotta

·         ½ cup grated parmesan

·         Salt and pepper

·         4 sweet potatoes, cooked

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add the pancetta.  Cook until brown and crispy.  Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.  Set aside.

Add the shallots to the pan (you should have about two teaspoons of grease in the pan).  Sauté the shallots until they start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to soften, about 3 minutes.  Add the torn kale, stir to combine.  Sauté until the kale wilts down.  Add the red pepper flakes, nutmeg, and salt and pepper. 

In a small bowl combine the ricotta and parmesan, season with salt and pepper.

Cut the cooked sweet potato* down the center and squeeze to open.  Season the potato with salt and pepper, top with the kale and mushroom mixture and a dollop of the ricotta mixture.  Garnish with the cooked pancetta.

*You can cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave by poking about five times with a fork, place on a plate, cover and cook for 15-25 minutes until soft in the center.  You can also bake them in the oven at 350 for about one hour.

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