We both grew up eating a whole lot of Mexican food! But it wasn't till this year that we discovered how well sweet potatoes go with Mexican food! Our first encounter with this divine duo was when we put chopped sweet potato fries on our taco salads. WOW! Then we made this super easy skillet and again our minds were blown! We love this meal because it is easy, packs a ton of fiber and protein in, and is deeeeelicious!
Tip: To make this even easier, buy ground beef in bulk, brown it all up without seasoning and freeze in 1 lb portions. Then when you need a pound of ground beef, take a bag out of the freezer, microwave for a tad to thaw, then toss it into the skillet all cooked and ready!
Mexican Sweet Potato Skillet
serves 4-6
INGREDIENTS:
-1 lb Ground Beef
-1/2 tsp Salt
-1/2 Onion, diced
-2 Large Sweet Potatoes, peeled and cubed into about 1/2 inch cubes
-1 tsp Cumin
-1 tsp Chili Powder
-1 tsp Garlic Powder
-1 tsp Paprika
-1/2 tsp Salt
-1 can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
-1 cup of Salsa (you can use red, green, green chilies, enchilada sauce)
-1 cup Shredded Cheese (we like Cheddar, Mexican blend, or Monterey Jack)
Toppings:
-Sour Cream (we love using Plain Greek Yogurt for added protein!)
-Lettuce
-Cilantro
-Diced Tomatoes
-Jalapeños
-Avocado/Guacamole
METHOD:
Preheat oven to 375°F.
In a large skillet that can be used the oven (we like to use our 12 inch cast iron skillet), add the ground beef, salt, and onion.
Cook until the beef is cooked and onions are translucent.
Once cooked, remove to a bowl.
Add cubed sweet potatoes, cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, and salt to the pan that was just used to cook the beef. (We want about a TBSP of grease from the meat, but if there is a lot left, feel free to take some out. If you need more, feel free to add a bit of oil)
Stir until seasonings are coating the potatoes and sauté for 10-15 mins, until the potatoes have softened a bit.
Add in ground beef, black beans, and salsa. Mix until combined.
Flatten mixture in the pan and sprinkle cheese all over.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the cheese is bubbly and starting to brown.
Serve and top with lettuce, sour cream, diced tomatoes, avocado, cilantro, jalapeños, etc.
Notes:
If you have pre-cooked ground beef (say from the freezer), skip steps 2-4. Add a TBSP of oil to the skillet and cook sweet potatoes. Add the onions with the ground beef, black beans, and salsa. Cook for a few mins to soften the onions. Continue with steps 7-10.