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Cherry Lentil Turkey Sausage Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

These turkey sausage stuffed sweet potatoes are filled with hot Italian turkey sausage, lentils, Montmorency tart cherries and spinach. A wholesome way to welcome in the fall season.

One of my pet peeves is trivial conversations about the weather.

You know, that awkward chit chat you make with people when you know them well enough to say hi but not well enough to talk about anything else more profound.

So, there you are in the middle of the grocery store or at the doctor’s office (this happens to me every 4 weeks with the nurse who gives me my allergy shots) or, wherever else this unfortunate encounter takes place and you find yourself discussing stupid stuff like the precipitation (or lack thereof) outside.

It’s just such a waste of breath, you know neither of you really truly care about the stupid weather and yet, there you both are discussing it for minutes on end.

*This recipe for Cherry Lentil Turkey Sausage Stuffed Sweet Potatoes is sponsored by the Cherry Marketing Institute.
These stuffed sweet potatoes are filled with hot Italian turkey sausage, lentils, tart cherries and spinach. A wholesome way to welcome in the fall season.

I say this and yet that’s exactly what I’m about to do with these turkey sausage stuffed sweet potatoes.

Why? Well because it basically seems like I woke up one morning last week and all of a sudden the air was chilly and missing that pronounced summer humidity that suffocates you as you open the door to let the dog out.

Like BAM – summer’s over, here comes fall.

And while I realize fall isn’t technically for a couple more weeks and I’m not over here throwing pumpkin recipes in your face yet, this recipe is definitively more fall themed than summer.

From roasted sweet potatoes to hearty lentils and the cozy comfort that sausage brings to any dish, it’s a recipe to ease us into this transition period of cool mornings and nights but warm days.

Stuffed with Italian turkey sausage, hearty lentils, baby spinach and sweet tart cherries, these roasted sweet potatoes are a perfect dinner for the upcoming cooler nights.

Adding a sweet bite to an otherwise savory dish is one of my favorite ways to keep a recipe engaging.

Dried Montmorency tart cherries bring a sweet and tart flair to this savory, salty stuffing mixture.

There’s just enough in the recipe to get at least one piece with every forkful keeping your taste buds happy and interested.

These turkey sausage stuffed sweet potatoes are a fall-inspired dinner perfect for the cooler temps of September.
Savory lentils and turkey sausage are given a sweet bite with the addition of dried tart cherries in these stuffed sweet potatoes.

Tart cherries do a lot more than that though.

They happen to be a great addition to any heart-healthy diet as well. It’s believed the Montmorency tart cherries can provide a number of cardiovascular benefits due to the intensity of anthocyanins they contain.

They may help lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, reduce inflammation and improve belly fat – all factors specifically linked to heart disease risk.

These turkey sausage stuffed sweet potatoes are packed with fall-inspired ingredients for a wholesome way to welcome in the new season.

There are plenty of ways to incorporate these little fruits into your diet to reap the health benefits, like in this tart cherry glazed salmon or this cinnamon ginger kabocha squash soup with tart cherry drizzle, two other great dinner options but for these few ‘in between season’ weeks we have right now, these turkey sausage stuffed sweet potatoes are a pretty solid choice.

Love this turkey sausage stuffed sweet potatoes recipe?

Try other tart cherry recipes like: Mini Tart Cherry GalettesTart Cherry Balsamic Grilled Summer Vegetable Orzo SaladTart Cherry Coconut Recovery Smoothie Bowl.

Or, make the turkey cherry lentil filling and serve it alongside some roasted hasselback sweet potatoes!

These stuffed sweet potatoes are filled with hot Italian turkey sausage, lentils, tart cherries and spinach. A wholesome way to welcome in the fall season.

Cherry Lentil Turkey Sausage Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

These stuffed sweet potatoes are filled with hot Italian turkey sausage, lentils, tart cherries and spinach. A wholesome way to welcome in the fall season.
5 from 2 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 2 large sweet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup green lentils
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 large shallot thinly sliced
  • 8 ounces turkey sausage
  • 2 cups packed baby spinach
  • 1/4 cup dried Montmorency tart cherries chopped
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 400ºF, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
  • Clean potatoes well leaving skin on and poke holes all around the flesh with a sharp knife. Place potatoes on the baking sheet and roast for 50-55 minutes until flesh is completely softened and skin is starting to crisp up on the outside.
  • Meanwhile, place lentils in a small sauce pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil, stir then reduce to a medium-low simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes until softened. Drain and set aside.
  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add shallots and cook for about 1 minute. Add turkey sausage, removing it from the casing and break down using a spatula so that it cooks in small crumbles.
  • Once sausage is mostly cooked through, add spinach, stirring until wilted. Add the cooked lentils to the skillet along with the chopped dried Montmorency tart cherries. Stir until everything is well combined, season with salt and pepper to taste and remove from heat.
  • Remove potatoes from the oven, let cool slightly then slice lengthwise down the middle. Spoon the turkey sausage mixture into each sweet potato. Divide into 4 servings and plate.

Notes

This stuffing mixture would work well in any squash too – acorn, butternut, spaghetti, etc.

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 1SERVING | Calories: 242kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 485mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 6g

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition information can vary for a variety of reasons. For the most precise nutritional data use your preferred nutrition calculator based on the actual ingredients you used in the recipe.

Cuisine American
Course Main Dishes
Keyword sausage stuffed sweet potatoes, stuffed sweet potatoes, turkey sausage stuffed sweet potatoes
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Gina Matsoukas is the writer, founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients as much as possible. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

Recipe Rating




Kristina @ Love & Zest

Sunday 17th of September 2017

mouth is watering thinking about those tart cherries with turkey sausage and sweet potatoes. gahhhh. I'm so into sweet potatoes lately.

Erin

Friday 15th of September 2017

I like the addition of cherries here!

Brenda @ a farmgirl's dabbles

Wednesday 13th of September 2017

We eat alot of turkey sausage - what a beautiful combination with the cherries and sweet potatoes!

TidyMom

Tuesday 12th of September 2017

I love the flavor combo of the cherries with sweet potatoes! Perfection!!

Taylor @ Food Faith Fitness

Monday 11th of September 2017

Love a good stuffed sweet potato! Turkey sausage is my jam, so this is definitely happening!