Salsa Sweet Potato Skillet

Easy sweet potato dinner in a cast iron skillet with a wooden spoon.

This delicious sweet potato skillet is a vegetarian, one-pot dinner that uses Southwestern and taco-inspired flavors. It relies on pantry staples to easily deliver a healthy meal for the whole family.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, Mexican

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings 2-cup servings

Calories 624kcal

Author Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN

Equipment

12-inch cast iron skillet (or other oven-safe skillet)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small white onion diced, about 1 cup
1 large sweet potato peeled and chopped into ½-inch cubes, about 2.5 cups
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon garlic powder
13 to 16 ounces salsa verde jarred or homemade
15 ounces navy beans drained or rinsed; can sub cannellini, pinto, or kidney beans
15 ounces black beans drained or rinsed
¾ cup shredded Mexican cheese
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
Toppings of choice avocado, sour cream, cilantro, tortilla strips, tomatoes, etc.

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to broiler setting.
Warm olive oil in a large (about 12-inch) cast iron skillet or other oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened.
Add the cubed sweet potato and cumin, chili powder, paprika, and garlic powder. Stir to coat the veggies. Cook another minute until fragrant.
Add the salsa verde and ½ cup of water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer (there should be some bubbles). The salsa and water will not fully cover the potatoes, but that's OK. Cook, stirring often, for 25 to 30 minutes until the sweet potato is tender. Add ¼ to ½ cup of additional water about halfway through the cooking time if needed. You don't need to cover the pan, but you can if you want to speed up the cooking process a little.
When the sweet potato is tender, stir in the beans.
Remove skillet from heat. Top with the shredded Mexican cheese and crumbled queso fresco.
Put the skillet under the broiler for 2 to 4 minutes until cheese is melted.
Serve warm with toppings of choice!

Notes

To cut back on prep time, use frozen sweet potato that's already cubed and a packet of taco seasoning instead of measuring out the spices.
Sub any salsa that you prefer.
For a non-vegetarian option, sub a pound of browned ground beef or turkey in lieu of the beans.
Other possible cheeses include shredded cheddar or Monterey jack and feta or cotija in place of the queso fresco.
Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 1-minute intervals until warmed through or in a skillet, adding water as needed.

Nutrition