Loaded Tex-Mex Sweet Potatoes
Turn to loaded sweet potatoes for a versatile, easy, and healthy dinner idea
I’m breaking one of my rules. I don’t like to post recipe notes before the actual recipe because I hate scrolling for 30 seconds before finding the thing I came to the blog for: the food. I assume others don’t like that either. So I’ll be brief.
When making a stuffed sweet potato, I never change the basics: the sweet potato and the beans. That’s my foundation. But what I add on top changes; this recipe is just one variation. So I want to give you permission to play with this. Add different toppings, make different flavor combinations. But there are two things you must keep in mind: crunch and sauce.
Crunch and sauce. VERY important with a loaded sweet potato. We have a foundation of two mushy starches, so if you don’t add crunch and sauce, you will have a plate of good tasting, kind of dry, mush. We can combat that by adding crunchy garnishes like corn, jalapeños, nuts, seeds, and cabbage. Anything that will add a crunchy texture. The sauce combats the dryness and adds much needed flavor. You can add bbq sauce and vegan ranch (as called for in this recipe), or you could add cashew cheese sauce, vegan queso, guacamole, salsa, or all of the above! What I use just depends on what I have in my fridge. So be free, little bird! Make up your own version of this. But remember: crunch and sauce. Don’t hold back.
Loaded Tex-Mex Sweet Potatoes
Quick, Easy, Vegan Loaded Sweet Potatoes
Makes: 4 Servings
Prep time:
Cook time:
- 4 small or 2 large sweet potatoes
- ½ lime, juice of
- 2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup vegan sour cream
- 1 tsp dill
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ tsp 100% pure maple syrup
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- ½ Tbsp cumin
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp onion powder
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- salt
- black pepper, freshly cracked
- 1 ½ cups water
- 1 cup corn (for garnish)
- jalapeno, diced (for garnish)
- cilantro, chopped (for garnish)
- bbq sauce, oil-free (for topping)
- Prepare the beans: place washed and drained beans in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add in 1 cup water, the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, and garlic powder. Bring to a gentle boil and cook until most of the water evaporates and it resembles a very thick bean chili (about 20 minutes). Stir occasionally to keep the bottom from burning.
- While the beans cook, prepare the sweet potatoes: wash thoroughly and stab with a fork repeatedly. Place in a microwave safe container (with a lid) with ½ cup water, and cook, covered, on the microwave’s ‘potato’ setting. You can cook the potatoes anyway you like, but the microwave is quickest. Check the potatoes after the microwave is done; be sure they are very soft all the way through. If not, repeat the cook cycle.
- While the sweet potatoes and beans continue cooking, make the vegan ranch: combine 1 cup vegan sour cream (I make my own) with the dill, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, maple syrup, and salt and pepper to taste. If you couldn’t find vegan sour cream, you can skip this step entirely. Or, you can blend up 1 cup soaked cashews with 1 cup of water and all the other ranch ingredients.
- Once the beans have cooked, stir in juice of ½ lime and salt to taste.
- Now we’ll build our loaded sweet potatoes: if using two large sweet potatoes, cut them in half. Each person will get ½ sweet potato. If using 4 small, cut a slit lengthwise, down the center to make a pocket (like a hotdog bun)
- Fill (or top) your sweet potatoes with the black beans.
- Top with corn, cilantro, jalapenos, and whatever else you want to throw on there.
- Drizzle with the ranch sauce and bbq sauce.
- Serve with a vegetable of your choosing or over a bed of greens, and enjoy!
Happy cooking!
-Courtney