Loaded Taco Bean Sweet Potatoes – Super Simple Recipe 10

I think we all need a recipe in our files or ‘arsenal’ as I often call it for mid-week, but especially Monday evening eating. Something that you can have on the table in under 30 minutes and uses what you have in the refrigerator, larder and store cupboard – so no special trip to the shops!

This is an easy peasy recipe that now goes into our Super Simple archive. It makes full use of the microwave to speed things up but you can go the slower route if you prefer to cook the sweet potatoes in the ordinary oven. This is a vegetarian feast where the potato shells (if you can tolerate them) become wonderfully crisp for the bean and cheese filling. The recipe is essentially a green (food for life) one but those on the soft stage may well be happy to eat just the filling mixture (without the spring onions/scallions) out of the skins. The beans and potatoes can be mashed together with the cheese to get the right consistency.

I have used taco flavoured beans below but there are a whole host of other bean mixes that you can consider – chilli and Provencal are two other favourites.

To serve, simply add salad – I often rely upon a mixed bag on particularly busy nights after a heavy working day.

LOADED TACO BEAN SWEET POTATOES

Ingredients

METRIC/US

4 x 200 g/7 oz sweet potatoes, scrubbed

396 g/14 oz can taco mixed beans in spicy tomato sauce (or your favourite bean mix)

4 spring onions/scallions, chopped

salt and freshly ground black pepper

75 g/¾ cup low-fat grated hard cheese

Method

Preheat the oven to 220 C/425 F/gas 7. Prick the potatoes with a fork several times and place on a microwave-proof plate. Microwave on FULL POWER for 8 minutes, halve and set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Alternatively, if you don’t have a microwave, bake the sweet potatoes at 200 C/400 F/gas 6 for 50 minutes.
Scoop the flesh out of the potato halves, setting the skins aside. Cut the flesh into cubes and place in a bowl. Stir in the beans, half the spring onions/scallions and salt and pepper to taste.
Put the skins in a roasting tin/pan and divide the bean mixture between them. Top with the remaining spring onions/scallions and the cheese. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until the skins are crisp and the cheese is melted.
Serve hot with salad if liked.

SERVES 4

WLS PORTION: ½

V suitable for Vegetarians

CALORIES PER PORTION: 307

PROTEIN: 13.5 g

CARBOHYDRATE: 56.5 g

FAT: 4.2 g

Image courtesy of Tesco