Make these stuffed sweet potatoes as is, or try the flavor variations. The recipe is designed to be made ahead and frozen, but you can also bake the potatoes after filling as directed until heated through.

Prep: 30 minutes   Chill: overnight    Bake: 1 hour 40 minutes   Oven: 425°/375°

8 medium sweet potatoes (about 3 3/4 lb. total)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut up
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Prick each sweet potato twice with a fork and place on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in a 425° oven for about 1 hour or until nearly tender. Remove from oven and let stand until cool enough to handle.

2. Cut each sweet potato in half lengthwise. Scoop out the cooked pulp from 10 of the sweet-potato halves, leaving a shell about 1/4 inch thick. Remove all the pulp from the remaining sweet potatoes, discarding skins. Transfer pulp to a large bowl. Add the butter, salt, and pepper to the pulp and mash with a potato masher until the mixture is fairly smooth. Add desired flavor options to the puree.

3. Use a spoon to fill the 10 shells with puree. Transfer filled sweet potatoes to a large airtight freezer container. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months.

4. To bake, remove sweet potatoes from freezer. Thaw overnight in refrigerator. Transfer potatoes to a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake in a 375° oven until heated through, about 40 minutes. Sprinkle plain sweet potatoes with ground cinnamon, if desired. Makes 10 servings.

Per serving: 187 cal., 9 g total fat (6 g sat. fat), 24 mg chol., 149 mg sodium, 25 g carbo., 4 g dietary fiber, 2 g protein.

MAPLE-PECAN: Stir 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon into the sweet-potato puree mixture. Fill and freeze sweet potatoes as directed. When ready to bake, drizzle tops of filled sweet potatoes with 1/3 cup pure maple syrup and sprinkle with 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans. Bake as directed.

PEAR AND GINGER: In a medium bowl mash 8 drained, canned pear halves with a potato masher until nearly smooth. Stir pear puree and 2 teaspoons ground ginger into the sweet-potato puree mixture. Fill, freeze, and bake sweet potatoes as directed. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup snipped dried cranberries.

MANCHEGO AND SMOKED PAPRIKA: Stir 1/3 cup finely shredded Manchego cheese and 2 to 3 teaspoons smoked paprika into the sweet-potato puree mixture. Fill and freeze sweet potatoes as directed. When ready to bake, sprinkle tops of filled sweet potatoes with an additional 1/4 cup finely shredded Manchego cheese. Bake as directed.