Sweet Potato Black Bean Taco Casserole

Meet Kim, the voice and recipe creator at Hungry Healthy Girl. Looking for great tasting healthy recipes? Look no further. Kim is exceptionally talented at creating recipes that are tasty, satisfying and easily adapted for special diets. Kim proves that healthy eating doesn’t have to mean hours in the kitchen for every meal. It doesn’t have to be boring or tasteless and it doesn’t have to include ingredients that you have to fly out of the country to find. I know, a slight exaggeration, but you know what I mean. Kim uses everyday easy to find ingredients in recipes that are often quick and easy to prepare.

Hi to all you healthy, happy, fit people! I’m Kim and I blog over at Hungry Healthy Girl, where I share healthy recipes with some fitness and fun sprinkled in. I’m so excited to guest post on Jill’s blog. I’ve been following her for quite some time and, when I can get my act together, I enjoy linking up on Sundays with my weekly meal plan.

I have a super tasty recipe to share with all of you! This recipe is very easy and can be adapted for any special diet. The version that I created is vegan and gluten-free, but for all my meat-eating friends, this recipe would be wonderful with added chicken or even ground beef. Not a fan of the black bean….. leave them out and substitute chopped zucchini or mushrooms. The possibilities are pretty much endless!

I think we all love a meal that can just be thrown together, popped in the oven and after about 20 minutes… voilà! This taco casserole also could be premade, covered and stored in the fridge throughout the day until dinner time. I just don’t know why casseroles get such a bad rap….. use a little less cheese, pile on the veggies and you’ve got yourself a super healthy meal!

Sweet potatoes and black beans are one of my favorite food combinations. Not only do they taste incredible together, but they pack a nutritional punch.

• Black beans are very high in fiber, folate, protein, and antioxidants, along with numerous other vitamins and minerals.
• Black beans contain at least 8 different flavonoids with enormous antioxidant potential, and with their high content of phytochemicals, studies have connected black bean consumption with reduced risk of certain cancers.
• Sweet potatoes contain an antioxidant pigment, anthocyanin; which research shows, which may decrease the dangers presented by heavy metals and oxygen radicals.
• Sweet potatoes are abundant in vitamin A and C; which are invaluable in the prevention of many types of cancer.

Listed above are just a few of the nutritional benefits of black beans and sweet potatoes. There are many additional reasons that make including black beans and sweet potatoes in your diet a great idea.

Sweet Potato Black Bean Taco Casserole

Serves 6 and takes about 30-35 minutes from start to finish.

Ingredients:

1 large sweet potato, peeled and diced (cook in the microwave for about 3-5 minutes, to soften)

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes, drained

½ an onion, chopped

1 red or green bell pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup salsa, divided

2-4 tortillas, depending on size (corn, flour, sprouted, gluten-free or whole wheat)

4 oz. shredded cheese, use vegan as desired (optional)

Salt & pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with a natural cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine diced sweet potato, black beans, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, chili powder, garlic salt, and cinnamon.
3. Spread ½ cup salsa on the bottom of the baking dish. Arrange a tortilla on top, ripping into strips to get the right fit. Spoon a large layer of sweet potato/black bean mixture over tortilla strips. Spread the remaining ½ cup salsa over the sweet potato/black bean layer.
4. Add one more layer of tortillas and then add the rest of the sweet potato/black bean mixture over the tortilla layer. Top with cheese, if using.
5. Bake, uncovered, 20-25 minutes and until cheese is melted and top is slightly browned. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut into squares and serve. Top with additional salsa, cilantro, and/or avocado, if desired.
6. Enjoy! I know you will!

Something to think about…..

How do you feel about casseroles? Is there a casserole that you really like?

Are you a black bean and sweet potato fan?

What’s your favorite throw together, quick and easy dinner meal?

Happy eating!!

Be sure and visit me over at Hungry Healthy Girl! You can also find me on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Bloglovin and Pinterest!

Kim loves to spend time with her family, eat, cook, read, and run. Kim started a blog to teach others that nutritious eating will not only have you feeling great, but can also be VERY yummy and to inspire others to make smart choices when it comes to feeding their bodies. Kim’s focus is to share the tools, information and recipes that will make it easy for you to feed your family the right way.

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