Beef and Sweet Potato Skillet

Ground beef and tender sweet potato cubes come together in a skillet with wilted spinach and garlic, all tied together with a splash of broth. It's warm, hearty, and ready in under half an hour. The ingredient list is short and straightforward, which makes it a good canvas if you're working through an elimination protocol or just want something nourishing without a lot of fuss. The sweet potato adds a touch of natural sweetness that plays nicely against the savory beef, and the spinach wilts down to almost nothing but leaves behind color and a mineral note. You can swap the broth for water if that's what your plan calls for, or leave out the garlic if it's on your no list. This is the kind of meal that sits quietly in your weeknight rotation and never asks for much.

By TasteBuds

Recipe details

Yield
4 people
Prep time
15 minutes
Cook time
20 minutes
Total time
30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground beef, 85% lean or leaner if preferred
  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced into ½-inch cubes
  • 4 cups fresh spinach, roughly chopped if leaves are large
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced (omit if avoiding)
  • ½ cup beef broth (or chicken broth, or water)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil (or any neutral cooking oil)
  • ½ tsp salt (or to taste)
  • ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground (or to taste)

Instructions

  1. Peel 1 large sweet potato (about 12 oz / 340 g) and dice it into ½-inch cubes. You want them all roughly the same size so they cook evenly.
  2. Mince 2 cloves garlic. If you're avoiding garlic, skip this step entirely.
  3. Roughly chop 4 cups fresh spinach (packed / 120 g) if the leaves are large. Baby spinach can go in whole.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil (15 ml) in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers.
  5. Add 1 lb ground beef (450 g) to the skillet. Break it up with a wooden spoon and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's browned all over and no longer pink, about 6 minutes. You'll see the fat rendering and the meat taking on color.
  6. Add the diced sweet potato (1 large, about 12 oz / 340 g) to the skillet with the beef. Stir to combine, then season with ½ tsp salt (3 g) and ¼ tsp black pepper (1 g).
  7. Pour in ½ cup beef broth (120 ml), then cover the skillet with a lid. Reduce the heat to medium and let it cook until the sweet potato is tender when you poke it with a fork, about 10 minutes. The broth will steam the potatoes and keep everything from sticking.
  8. Remove the lid and stir in the minced garlic (2 cloves) if you're using it. Cook for about 1 minute, just until you can smell it going fragrant.
  9. Add the chopped spinach (4 cups / 120 g) and stir it into the beef and sweet potato. It will look like a lot at first, but it wilts down fast. Cook, stirring, until the spinach is completely wilted and tender, about 2 minutes.
  10. Taste and add more salt or pepper if you like. Spoon into bowls and serve warm.