Vegetarian Black Bean Chili Stuffed Sweet Potato: A Football Season Fave

Good news, you don’t have to be a raving football fan to enjoy this delicious recipe! They just have a rather football shape, and who doesn’t love chili during events like the Super Bowl?

With all that said, as the weather starts cooling down you may be thinking of warmer meals to eat, share on social media, and rave about to friends and family. 

And if you’re even a little health conscious, you may be looking for a healthier, anti-inflammatory version of a mainstream favorite dish.

This vegetarian recipe offers a “next level” on the average chili dinner. 

Sweet potatoes, who knew? Inspired by Ambitious Kitchen (1) with a KaraMD twist, this is a sure-fire way to please even the biggest skeptic. 

Fun Facts About Sweet Potatoes

Before we dive in, let’s take a moment to ask ourselves: Why sweet potatoes? 

• Sweet potatoes are full of vitamins and minerals, like vitamins A, C, the B family, E, and Manganese.
• While sweet potatoes do contain starch, a portion of it feeds your good gut bacteria and acts like fiber.
• Sweet potatoes come in different colors, and the purple variety is rich in anthocyanins, which have mega-antioxidant properties (2).

Recipe

This particular recipe serves 4, so feel free to double (or triple!) the batch to make sure everyone gets a portion.

Servings: 4

Oven Temp: 400°

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes

Total time: 55 minutes

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 4 sweet potatoes
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 1 ½ tablespoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chipotle chili powder 
• 2 capsules KaraMD Pure Nature or Comfort Guard X24
• 1-15 ounce can black beans (do not drain)
• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• ½  cup shredded cheese
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Garnish of choice (cilantro, avocado, etc)

Here’s what you’ll do:

1. Go ahead and preheat the oven. While it’s warming up, take a fork and poke holes in the sweet potatoes. This lets the steam out while they bake. 
2. Place sweet potatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until they’re soft enough for a fork to go through easily. 
3. While the potatoes bake, saute the onions, garlic, and bell pepper until soft and nearly translucent. 
4. Mix in chili powder and other spices and stir for about a minute. 
5. Add tomato sauce and black beans.
6. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until sweet potatoes are finished. Chili should begin to thicken.
7. Once the sweet potatoes are done, place on a rack to cool for a few minutes. Split open and fluff the inside with a fork, if desired. 
8. Add chili mixture to the inside of the sweet potato and sprinkle with cheese. Place back in the oven for about 5 minutes in order to melt the cheese.

And that’s it! Serve hot with a fresh salad on the side. 

Grocery Hack: How to Pick the Best Produce

If you’re going to make a great tasking recipe, you need fresh ingredients. How do you know if your sweet potatoes are ready for baking, or if they’re too far gone?

Healthy, ready-to-use sweet potatoes will be firm and fairly heavy (3). They will have a uniform color, and have no pungent odors. Some lines on the sweet potatoes are normal, but there shouldn’t be any holes or gashes. 

Sweet potatoes that have gone bad will be soft and spongy in texture. It may have an off smell, and you may notice white or blue mold growing on it. 

If in doubt, opt for the best and most fresh produce for your sweet potato recipe. And whenever possible, try to shop organic or locally-sourced to ensure you are getting the best quality nutrients and avoiding any harmful additives.

Savvy Switch-outs:

If you don’t like sweet potato, you can swap out for regular or acorn squash.

Don’t want to use cheese? You can substitute lactose free cheese.

If you’re avoiding dairy, you can switch sour cream out for plain Greek yogurt.

References & Disclaimers

(1) https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/sweet-potatoes#plant-compounds

(2) https://www.ambitiouskitchen.com/vegetarian-black-bean-chili-stuffed-sweet-potatoes/

(3) https://www.simplyhealthyfamily.org/how-to-know-if-sweet-potato-is-bad/

✝✝This noted statement is based on independent research and is not necessarily the opinion of the author