This is the BEST Ground Beef and Sweet Potato recipe I've ever made. It's super simple to make, you just fry off sweet potato cubes and ground beef in a skillet with a handful of ingredients, make a delicious cheese sauce, and then combine everything together and top the dish with Italian 'nduja and fresh basil pesto for extra flavour and colour.
This super cheesy, delicious ground beef with sweet potato dish is full of flavour, really vibrant, and a house-favourite. It only takes 30 minutes to make and is great for meal-prep or preparing in advance. If you don't have any 'nduja or fresh basil pesto, don't worry, I provide substitutions further down this blog, so you can check them out if you'd like!
If you like the look of this recipe, then I think you'll want to save a few of my other recipes too like my one pot lasagna, baked chicken with cream of chicken soup, gnocchi lasagne with gochujang, or Nixon's chicken!
For another ground beef recipe, check out my healthier stuffed peppers with ground beef and rice which is so great for meal prep!
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Why you'll love this recipe
Hug in a bowl: the warming flavours from the spicy 'nduja and the fresh basil pesto pair so wonderfully with the cheese sauce and heartiness from the sweet potatoes and the ground beef. Perfect for an autumnal day. Another "hug in a bow" kind of recipe is my French onion soup chicken casserole which you could save for another day!
Minimal ingredients: this sweet potato and ground beef recipe requires 10 ingredients. The majority of them are easy to find or guaranteed you'll already have them in your pantry. The 'nduja might be more difficult for you to get your hands on...and if that's the case, don't worry, because further on down this blog, I provide substitutions for this ingredient.
Great for meal-prep: this recipe serves 4-6 people so if you're on your own or living with a friend/partner, then this is a great dish to prepare and then eat for the following few days.
Ingredients
Sweet potatoes: I left the skins on, just make sure to wash them thoroughly. Dice the sweet potato into small cubes. If you don't have sweet potatoes, regular potatoes will do.
Ground beef: 15% fat beef mince will give you a juicy and flavourful meal. If you're wanting to be a bit healthier, then choose a 5% fat beef mince option. If you're looking to make this dish veggie, you could replace the beef with finely chopped mushrooms and crumbled tofu.
Garlic granules: Fresh garlic or garlic granules work just as well for this recipe. Feel free to add as much as you like based on your preferences.
Tinned tomatoes: A whole can of good quality tinned tomatoes is needed. If you don't have tinned, freshly chopped tomatoes also works.
Butter: You'll want salted butter to make the roux.
Flour: All purpose-flour is great for a roux. Don't use self-raising or bread flour.
Milk: Whichever milk you like to use!
Cheese: I used ¼ cheddar and ¾ Red Leicester to add the colour!
Paprika: For a bit of flavour and extra colour in the cheese sauce.
'Nduja: This is a southern Italian spicy sausage paste. It can be quite hard to find so I've provided some alternatives in the next part of this blog.
Fresh basil pesto: For colour and flavour, I bought some fresh basil pesto to top this dish.
Pine nuts: For some crunch and extra goodness, pine nuts are great. You can also toast them if you want to go the extra mile.
Please check the recipe card at the bottom of this blog for the full measurements.
Ingredient substitutions
'Nduja: If you can't find nduja, then I'd recommend opting for a store-bought harissa paste, red pesto, or romesco sauce.
Step by step instructions
Step 1: Begin by washing and slicing your sweet potato into small cubes.
Step 2: Place a large shallow pan (skillet) on medium heat and drizzle in some olive oil. Add in your ground beef, break it apart, followed by your cubed sweet potatoes, garlic granules, salt, and pepper. Give it a mix and fry for 5 minutes.
Step 3: Add in your tinned tomatoes plus an additional 400ml water (fill the tomato tin with water and swirl it around to get any leftover tomatoes) into the pan. Stir and then add on your lid and cook for 15 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the food catching.
Step 4: For the cheese sauce, place a saucepan on medium heat and add in your butter. Once fully melted, add in the flour and stir with a whisk until combined and thickened. Gently pour in the milk and stir simultaneously with the whisk. You should get a nicely thick smooth milk sauce. Season with salt and pepper, then add in your cheeses and paprika. Give it a good mix and it should thicken up even more slightly. Give it a taste and season accordingly.
Step 5: After your sweet potato and ground beef have been cooking for 15 minutes, remove the lid and let the water evaporate further. You should have a slightly saucy but not watery mixture. Pour over the cheese sauce to cover the sweet potato and ground beef.
Step 6: Dollop teaspoons of nduja and fresh basil pesto over your dish and then swirl through with a skewer or knife. Top with pine nuts and enjoy!
Top Tips!
- To check if the sweet potato is cooked, spike it with a fork and if it goes in easily, it's ready to go!
- Always make sure to taste as you go. For the cheese sauce, season with salt, pepper, and any other ingredients you think will go well with it!
- If you don't have nduja or basil pesto, no worries! Simply season your ground beef with some paprika or cajun seasoning to add extra flavour.
What to do with leftovers
Storage: Once cool, place any leftovers in airtight containers and into the fridge for up to 3 days.
Freezer: Once cool, place any leftovers in airtight containers and into the freezer for up to 3 months. Leave to thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Reheating: Place in the microwave with the lid of the container slightly ajar for a few minutes until piping hot. Alternatively, you can place the ground beef with sweet potatoes in a pan and reheat on medium/low until slightly bubbling.
FAQs
Absolutely, I've used beef here, but turkey, chicken, or lamb would work really well!
For sure. They wouldn't add as much flavour but would still be tasty.
I love having this ground beef and sweet potatoes recipe with a side salad. Roasted veggies would also go really well with it.
Other recipes you might enjoy!
If you tried this Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thank you!
The BEST Ground Beef and Sweet Potato Recipe
Ingredients
For the ground beef and sweet potatoes
- 1-2 sweet potatoes chopped into cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 500g ground beef I used 15% fat but you could do less like 5%
- 1-2 teaspoon garlic granules based on your preference
- 400g tinned tomatoes
For the cheese sauce
- 40g salted butter
- 4 tablespoon plain flour
- 700ml milk
- 50g cheddar cheese grated
- 150g red leicester cheese grated
- ½ teaspoon paprika
For the toppings
- 5 teaspoon nduja mix with some olive oil to make it runny
- 5 teaspoon fresh basil pesto
- Handful of pine nuts
Instructions
- Begin by washing and slicing your sweet potato into small cubes.
- Place a large shallow pan (skillet) on medium heat and drizzle in some olive oil. Add in your ground beef, break it apart, followed by your cubed sweet potatoes, garlic granules, salt, and pepper. Give it a mix and fry for 5 minutes.
- Add in your tinned tomatoes plus an additional 400ml water (fill the tomato tin with water and swirl it around to get any leftover tomatoes) into the pan. Stir and then add on your lid and cook for 15 minutes. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent the food catching.
- For the cheese sauce, place a saucepan on medium heat and add in your butter. Once fully melted, add in the flour and stir with a whisk until combined and thickened. Gently pour in the milk and stir simultaneously with the whisk. You should get a nicely thick smooth milk sauce. Season with salt and pepper, then add in your cheeses and paprika. Give it a good mix and it should thicken up even more slightly. Add more milk if it's too thick. Give it a taste and season accordingly.
- After your sweet potato and ground beef have been cooking for 15 minutes, remove the lid and let the water evaporate further. You should have a slightly saucy but not watery mixture. Pour over the cheese sauce to cover the sweet potato and ground beef.
- Dollop teaspoons of nduja and fresh basil pesto over your dish and then swirl through with a skewer or knife. Top with pine nuts and enjoy!
Notes
- To check if the sweet potato is cooked, spike it with a fork and if it goes in easily, it's ready to go!
- Always make sure to taste as you go. For the cheese sauce, season with salt, pepper, and any other ingredients you think will go well with it!
- If you don't have nduja or basil pesto, no worries! Simply season your ground beef with some paprika or cajun seasoning to add extra flavour.
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