Southwestern Baked Sweet Potato Bar
with black beans / cheese / chili-lime ranch crema / pepitas
A DIY baked sweet potato bar always makes for a fun and relatively simple meal. We gave this version a Southwestern twist with vegetarian toppings and a creamy sauce that tastes like a cross between Ranch dressing and a Tex-Mex crema.
Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes, medium - 4, halved lengthwise
- Cheese, Monterey Jack or white cheddar - 4 oz, grated (look for pre-shredded to save time)
- Broccoli - 8 oz, finely chopped
- Green onions - 2 stalks, chopped, green and white parts combined
- Tomatoes, Roma - 3, chopped
- Corn kernels, frozen or canned - 1 cup
- Beans, black (14 oz / 397 g) - 1 can, drained and rinsed
- Foil - for baking
- Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
- Water - 2 Tbsp
- Lemon juice - 1 tsp
- Cumin, ground - 1 tsp
- Pepitas / pumpkin seeds - 1/3 cup
- Salsa (opt) - for serving
- Dill, fresh - 1/2 tsp, chopped
- Yogurt, plain or Greek - 1 cup
- Lime juice - 1 Tbsp
- Garlic powder - 1/2 tsp
- Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
- Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Nutrition Facts
Prep
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Sweet potatoes - (If prepping right before cooking, get oven heating first.) Wash and scrub potatoes. Slice in half lengthwise. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Cheese (if not pre-shredded) / Broccoli - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Make crema - Finely chop dill. Combine with yogurt, lime juice, garlic powder, chili powder, and black pepper. Add some water a small amount at a time if needed until the crema forms a smooth, pourable dressing. Season with some salt. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
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Green onions / Tomatoes - Prep as directed. Store separately. (Can be done 1 day ahead)
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Corn - Defrost if using frozen, drain if using canned.
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Beans - Drain and rinse.
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Make
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Heat oven to 425F / 218C. Line a sheet pan with foil or brush with some oil.
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Rub sweet potato halves on all sides with some oil. Place potatoes cut-side down on sheet pan. Season the tops with some salt. Transfer to the oven and roast until potatoes can be easily pierced with a fork, ~30 minutes.
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When sweet potatoes are nearly finished, heat a skillet or nonstick pan with first portion of cooking oil over medium heat. Add broccoli to heated pan and saute until broccoli is starting to brown in spots. Add water to pan (carefully because it will steam and may splatter) and cover with a lid. Steam broccoli until nearly tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
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Remove lid and continue cooking broccoli until excess water has cooked off. Season broccoli with lemon juice and some salt. Transfer broccoli to a serving bowl.
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Return skillet to heat and add second portion of cooking oil. To heated oil add corn. Leave corn to cook in oil without stirring until it turns golden in spots, 4 to 5 minutes. Pour beans over corn and sprinkle cumin and some salt over top. Cook everything together until warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer corn and beans to a serving bowl.
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Set out toppings - cheese, broccoli, green onions, tomatoes, corn and beans, pepitas, salsa, and crema.
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Divide sweet potato halves between serving plates. Gently mash with a fork. Have everyone top their potatoes at the table and enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Reviews
Ratings
16 reviews
Fantastic! Was surprised to see dill in the sauce but it was actually very good. Also made good lunch leftovers.
0 HelpfulDidn’t have time to bake the potatoes so roasted them cubed in the air fryer. Worked great! This is such a good combination of flavors.
0 HelpfulWonderful and filling! I was really skeptical of the broccoli fitting in with everything else, but it worked much better than I thought it would. Will definitely have this one again
0 HelpfulWe aren't fans of potatoe bars but I've skipped these recipes for a whole so thought I'd try one! Glad I did. Filling, the creama was really nice. The sweet potatoes we got with our grocery order were giant so I made more of a poutine with fries instead (also was short for time). Everyone ate and was happy. 4 year old asked me to make it again, lots of good finger food for baby, and meat eating husband cleaned his plate. Would make again.
0 Helpful