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Hi, friends, these Sweet Potato Salmon Melts have become one of my new favorite meals!
I owe Paul for this recipe. Picture it: Sunday evening, the fridge was empty. The pantry staples required more creativity than I was willing to nurture. Paul and I were both starving, we were contemplating walking to the Chinese restaurant down the street, almost out of options. Then Paul, who rarely has food ideas – except for frozen pizza – asked if we had any canned tuna on hand. Even better, we had canned salmon. What about a salmon melt, he suggested! Ooh what a fabulous idea! It’s quick, it’s simple, it’s healthy, and filling. Then I spotted a few sweet potatoes sitting on the counter and just knew Sweet Potato Salmon Melts were meant to be!
Baked sweet potatoes stuffed with a creamy salmon salad that is studded with crunchy red peppers, celery, green onions, and plenty of garlic. It is topped with some melted white cheddar – because what’s a salmon melt without some cheese all melty on top?
As I am typing this post at 10 am, I am already getting hungry for my leftover Salmon Sweet Potato Melts that are in the fridge waiting for lunchtime. My mouth is watering.
The combo of the soft sweet potato with the creamy salmon salad is pretty much the best thing ever. Of course you could swap the salmon for some tuna if salmon isn’t your thing; that would also be delicious. But for all of those salmon lovers out there you HAVE to make these Sweet Potato Salmon Melts ASAP!
The best part about these Sweet Potato Salmon Melts is that they are so simple to make. Halve your sweet potatoes, bake, scoop out a little of the sweet potato meat to make room for the salmon. Stuff your sweet potatoes with the salmon salad that you mixed up while the sweet potatoes were baking – pop them back into the oven to warm the salmon – then top with cheese and melt. Dinner is served!
I get it, life is hectic, weeknight meals can be a struggle. You need something homemade and tasty, yet you have 10 million things that need to be done at the same time. These Salmon Sweet Potato Melts are here to help. Yes, they require a little time in the oven, but they are low maintenance. You can get at least 2 of your 10 million things done while the sweet potatoes are baking away.
Here’s a secret: if you do any prep work on the weekends, you can bake your sweet potatoes ahead of time and just warm them up in the microwave or oven. Stuff with the salmon, warm that up. Top with cheese and melt. You could even go so far as to make the entire meal ahead of time and simply pop the stuffed sweet potatoes in the microwave to reheat. They are just as irresistible as when they are freshly made. Food prep FTW!
I hope you enjoy these Sweet Potato Salmon Melts as much as we do. Trust me,you will be a lot happier eating these babies the next time you’re in a pinch rather than succumbing to your fall-back restaurant.
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- Author: Emily Koch
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 50 mins
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Entree
- Cuisine: Gluten Free, Fish/Seafood
Description
Sweet Potato Salmon Melts are baked sweet potato halves that are stuffed with a salmon salad and topped with melted cheese. They are easy to make, and are a healthy and satisfying meal for any weeknight.
Ingredients
UnitsScale
- 3 large sweet potatoes, scrubbed and washed (organic is best, if possible)
- 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
- salt
- 1 14 ounce can wild caught, good quality salmon (can sub tuna)
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise (I use vegan soy-free mayonnaise)
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- Few dashes hot sauce (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, minced
- 2 celery stalks, minced
- 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup shredded white cheddar cheese (can sub whatever type of cheese you prefer)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with tin foil.
- Cut the sweet potatoes in half lengthwise. Brush the exposed half with the grapeseed oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, flipping the sweet potatoes over halfway through. The sweet potatoes should be fork-tender in the thickest part.
- Once the sweet potatoes are cooked remove them from the oven and allow them to cool until you can handle them. Use a spoon to scoop out some of the sweet potato meat, leaving about 1 inch of sweet potato meat behind (see photo). Reserve the scooped-out sweet potato meat for another meal.
- While the sweet potatoes are baking mix up your salmon salad. Drain the liquid from the salmon. Add the salmon to a large mixing bowl. Use a fork to break up any large clumps. Stir in the mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce and salt and black pepper, until well mixed. Gently stir in the garlic, green onions, red pepper, and celery. Set the salmon aside until the sweet potatoes are ready to stuff.
- Stuff the sweet potato cavities with the salmon mixture. Allow a little of the salmon mixture to dome on top of the sweet potato (see photo). Don’t overstuff.
- Place the stuffed sweet potatoes back into the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Top with the cheese and bake for another 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of green onions, if desired, and serve immediately.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave or oven.
Notes
You will have a little salmon salad left over, depending on how large your sweet potatoes are. The salmon salad is delicious eaten on its own, over a salad, or eaten with the leftover sweet potato meat that we scooped out.
If you want to make the sweet potatoes ahead as suggested in the narrative, simply bake the sweet potatoes as directed. Scoop out the sweet potato meat. When you want to serve the Sweet Potato Salmon Melts heat the sweet potatoes in the microwave until steaming. Mix up the salmon salad, stuff the sweet potatoes and warm them in the oven for 10 minutes, then melt the cheese on top.
Or you can even bake the sweet potatoes, stuff them with the salmon salad, store in the fridge. When ready to serve heat them in the microwave, then melt the cheese on top.
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