
I'm always on the look-out for a meatless meal that Hubby will eat without asking "Where's the meat?". I found one. Not only did he not complain about the lack of meat, but he actually commented how good these chipotle sweet potato skins were, several times! That means winner in my house.
Eating more meatless meals - at least one per week - can have many benefits:
- Reduced food costs
- Higher fibre intake (when meat is replaced by legumes and/or vegetables)
- Lower saturated fat intake
- Lower calorie intake, which means lower risk of weight gain
- Lower risk of some cancers
The recipe starts with fresh, whole sweet potatoes...
...which get roasted until soft.
After they've cooled for a bit, cut them in half lengthwise, then scoop out some of the flesh. You want there still to be some sweet potato left in the skins. I like leaving about 1cm (½") of flesh in the skin. Make sure you save the sweet potato flesh you scoop out to use for something else. Then you brush on some chipotle deliciousness and bake them again.
Then you stuff them with the black beans tossed with the chipotle sauce, cover the whole thing with shredded cheddar and bake again.
I like them garnished with some chopped avocado and cilantro, but they would also be great with sour cream or guacamole. Serve with a simple side salad to make a complete meal.
These skins do take a considerable time to make, which can be difficult to fit in after a long day at work. The skins can be pre-baked then held in the fridge to finish later.
The original recipe called for shredded chicken instead of the black beans, and my family loved the recipe that way too. But considering the benefits of meatless meals, why WOULDN'T you want to try more? Start with this one, you won't regret it!
Chipotle Black Bean Sweet Potato Skins
Ingredients
- 4 medium sweet potatoes
- ¼ cups olive oil
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 2 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 3 whole canned chipotle peppers minced or pureed
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups spinach
- 15 oz can black beans drained and rinsed
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated
- chopped cilantro and avocado for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Scrub sweet potatoes and poke evenly with a fork. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 60 minutes, or until soft.
- Meanwhile, mix olive oil, lime juice, garlic, chipotle peppers, oregano, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.
- When sweet potatoes are done baking, allow to cool enough to handle. Cut them in half, lengthwise and scoop out some of the flesh, leaving about a 1cm (½") layer of flesh in the skin. Brush the skins with some chipotle mixture.
- Raise oven temperature to 400°F and bake the skins for 5-10 more minutes, until crisp.
- Wilt spinach in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and black beans to the chipotle mixture and mix.
- Stuff the sweet potato skins with the bean-spinach mixture. Top each skin with shredded cheddar. Place skins back in the oven for an additional 5-10 minutes, until cheese is melted.
Notes
Make ahead: Complete recipe through step 3. Then put the skins in the fridge until ready to use.
Nutrition Disclaimer: I try my best to make sure the nutrition information I provide is accurate to provide you with the best information possible. However, due to ingredient discrepancies and other factors, the above nutrition information should be considered an estimation only.
Lois
I will try these this week. Very healthy
Thank you
Nat
These were super tasty. In hindsight, I should have cut down on the Chipotle a little for my spice-averse LO. We prebaked the sweet potatoes and were able to do it after work okay.
Carissa
Great! I'm glad you made them and enjoyed them, And I totally understand about cutting down on the spice for the LO.