Baked Sweet Potatoes with Black Beans and Cheddar
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This dish is a bit indulgent with all the cheddar cheese, but if you don’t have cheese normally (like us), you can indulge once in awhile, especially when you are serving it as a vegetarian main dish of healthy sweet potatoes and black beans. This is a hearty meal packed with protein, vitamins and minerals. If you want something green to go with this, serve a green salad or dice some ripe avocado to serve on top. This recipe was adapted from The New York Times’ Sarah Jampel.
MAKES: 6 Servings
PREP/COOK TIME: 1.5 Hours
INGREDIENTS
2 medium sweet potatoes (8 to 10 ounces each), scrubbed and dried
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup cooked black beans (if canned, rinsed and drained)
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar
1/4 teaspoon Black pepper
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 425 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Halve sweet potatoes lengthwise, then brush all over with olive oil and sprinkle both sides with salt.
Place cut side down on prepared sheet and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until completely cooked through. Take sweet potatoes out of the oven, turn them over and let cool slightly. Use a fork to rough up the flesh and slightly flatten the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
Divide half the cheese among the potato halves. Spoon the black beans over them, then cover with the remaining cheese. Return the pan to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the beans have warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Serve warm with salsa or diced avocado.
