Sweet Potatoes Topped with Spicy Black Beans & Tomatoes

We've all got Super Bowl food traditions. At my house, some combination of nachos, chicken wings, pizza, trays of veggies, cheese and crackers and all sorts of dip usually make an appearance.

Amy's husband loves Crockpot Queso. I think Erin's Pretzel Wrapped Hot Dogs will be a hit with my boys this year.

The dressed-up dogs are going to be on my menu, next to these festive potato boats. These potatoes are full of flavor and low in greasy fat. Combined with black beans, tomatoes, green chilis and spices, they carry all the zesty tastes this food-centric day calls to mind, without the guilt.

Plus, I'm not a fan of chicken wings.

Sadly, my boys are not keen on black beans. I've already served this dish to them and they preferred the potatoes topped with no-bean chili and shredded cheddar instead. (Hence, the pretzel-wrapped hot dogs.)

There are some children who will enjoy this meal. We made a version at a recent Junior League of Peoria Kids in the Kitchen program and a few of our kiddos gobbled them up.

The students inspired some other sweet potato topper ideas, which would be great for a make-your-own sweet potato bar at a party: taco meat and cheese, chili and cheese, marshmallows and mini chocolate chips.

Whatever you whip up for your Super Bowl celebrations, enjoy and Mangia! Mangia!

Andrea

Sweet Potatoes Topped with Spicy Black Beans & Tomatoes
Inspired by this recipe from EatingWell.com and these ideas from Schnucks grocery stores

4 sweet potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 medium-large tomatoes, diced
1 4 ounce can roasted green chili peppers
1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For serving: Chopped fresh cilantro, sliced green onions, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream

Note: You can sub in a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chilis for fresh tomatoes and canned chilis

Cook potatoes.

Oven method: Place each potato on a square of aluminum foil. Spray with cooking spray, sprinkle with salt and wrap in foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour or until potatoes are soft.

Microwave method: Prick potatoes with a fork. Place in microwave and cook for 15 minutes or until soft all the way through

In a microwave-safe bow, combine tomatoes, green chilis, beans, garlic, spices and olive oil. Stir to combine. Once potatoes are done, warm bean mixture in microwave for 2-3 minutes.

Split potatoes lengthwise down the middle. Top with 1/2 cup bean mixtures. Sprinkle with cilantro, green onions and cheddar cheese.

One young Kids in the Kitchen chef calls this "dinner dessert potato." She ate 3 of them!

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos

After the insanity of the holidays, I'm struggling to get back to my routine. Back to the kitchen. Back to blogging. Back to doing laundry before I run out of clean socks...again.

When I'm struggling to get cooking, I always turn to the HDHH archives. It feels like a reading a journal. I remember when the investment dudes gave me the recipe for Baked Oatmeal, when I used to eat Peanut Butter & Stuff Sandwiches on my business trips to San Francisco, making Spring on Toast with Amy, when Therese introduced me to her Corn & Tomato Salad, my childhood babysitter who inspired Bacon Cheeseburger Rice, making Salmon with Dill Cream Sauce with Kelly and Jill, watching my mom bake Butterscotch Cashew Bars. These are good memories. And certainly inspiration enough to get hot dinner on the table.

It had been too long since I made Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos, a recipe I first tested for dinner co-op with Therese back in 2011. These vegetarian burritos were so stinking good, a perfect way to usher in the New Year and a return to culinary pursuits.

Do you guys have any cooking inspiration for 2017? We'd love to hear it!

Let's get cooking!
Erin

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos
Adapted from An Occasion to Gather
Originally posted September 23, 2011
Serves: 4-6

1 very large (or two small) sweet potato(s), peeled and cut into small pieces*
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2-4 ounces diced green chiles (Depending on how spicy you like things!)
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons coriander
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
8 flour tortillas
Salsa and sour cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350 or 425 degrees. (See Baking Note below for details on baking temperature.)

Place sweet potato in a saucepan with enough water to cover and a hearty pinch of salt. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and allow sweet potatoes to cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until   they're easily pierced with a fork. Drain sweet potatoes and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and chiles and saute, stirring often, for 7 minutes. Stir in cumin and coriander and cook for another minute, until the spices are fragrant. Remove onion mixture from heat and set aside.

Combine sweet potatoes and black beans and mash them together with a potato masher or whatever mashing implement you prefer. (I like my burrito filling to have some texture, so I didn't mash it too much. Just use your best judgement.) Stir in cooked onion mixture, cheese, and cilantro.

Evenly divide the filling between the tortillas. Roll burritos up tightly and place seam-side-down in a 9 x 13 baking dish.

Baking Note: I've experimented with a couple different ways to bake these burritos, so I'll give you options. If you like crisp burritos and/or you want to get dinner on the table fast, crank up the oven to 425. Brush a little melted butter on top of the prepped burritos in the pan and bake for 10-15 minutes, until burritos are heated through and the tops are golden brown and crisp. If you like your tortillas to remain soft and/or you have more time to kill before dinner, cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes if you'd like to crisp up the tops a little bit.

Serve with salsa and sour cream.

*If you have leftover cooked sweet potatoes, this is a great way to use them up! I made extra roasted sweet potatoes, and they were delicious in this recipe. And with leftovers, you're one step closer to dinner.