When my sister and I got to Calgary, there was one meal that we were looking forward to the most – my friends Alison & Dave’s Sweet Potato Bean Burritos. They made it the first night we got there as a big welcome to Alberta (along with margaritas!) Alison had shared the recipe with us before and we’d made them at my parents’ once, but I knew that it would be so much better getting the real deal made by them.
…and oh man, did they ever deliver. I realized that we had followed the original recipe exactly before, and over time they’d added their own take on it. I took pictures and notes while they worked away so that I could share it with all of you. If you’re looking for a hearty vegetarian meal that will even make meat lovers happy, this is it.
These burritos are so good – spicy mashed beans with a sweet potato and cheese filling, baked until crispy and then loaded up with all your favourite tex mex toppings.
As a new mom, Alison can attest to how nice it is that this makes a big batch to have on hand for those busy nights. You can store the fillings and toppings separately in the fridge to make them over the next few days, or even make up the burritos to freeze for later on.
- 2 sweet potatoes (enough to make 4 cups mashed)
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (15oz) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (15oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 cups water
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tsp prepared mustard
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
- 12 large flour tortillas, warmed
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1 cup shredded monterrey jack cheese
- toppings: sour cream, guacamole, salsa, green onions, cilantro
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Pierce each sweet potato several times with a fork. Place sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool. Lower oven temperature to 350°F.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet heat oil on medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Mash beans on a large plate and then mix into onion mixture. Gradually stir in water and heat until warm, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chili powder, soy sauce, mustard, cumin, and cayenne pepper.
- Peel and mash sweet potatoes.
- Divide bean mixture and mashed sweet potatoes evenly between the tortillas; top with cheese. Fold tortillas burrito-style around the fillings and place seam side down on a baking sheet lined with foil.
- Bake for 12 minutes or until warmed through.
- Serve topped with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, green onions, cilantro or your favourite tex mex toppings!
Wrap individually in aluminum foil and freeze up to 3 months.
To reheat from frozen:
Remove frozen burritos from foil. Wrap in a damp paper towel on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove paper towel, transfer to baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 12 minutes or until crispy.
Adapted from allrecipes.com
Dave is a great cook in the kitchen too. He made us his mom’s chicken stir fry one night and it was awesome. I’ll have to share it soon as well.
By mixing the mashed black beans and red kidney beans, you get great flavour and texture. A little kick from the cayenne pepper and seasonings helps too!
The sweet potatoes add some sweetness to the mixture. If you have leftovers, you can share them with kids…or in our case the dogs. They love a scoop of this stuff on their usual food.
For a side dish, they made this Spanish Rice recipe and it turned out great.
Spanish Rice
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 min
Makes 6 Servings
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp chopped onion
- 1-1/2 cups uncooked white rice
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup chunky salsa
Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.
Mix rice into skillet, stirring often. When rice begins to brown, stir in broth and salsa. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid has been absorbed.
They made a second batch with the vegetable broth and it turned out really good too!
Garrett saw these pictures while I was editing and wants me to make him a batch this week, ha! They just look too good to resist. I’m planning to make up a double batch soon and freeze them for last minute dinners on those busy weeknights this fall.
