Friday, April 1, 2016

Foil Packet Sweet Potato Tacos

Think tinfoil dinners gone taco. But with sweet potatoes. These were super good. Pretty quick and pretty healthy (before the cheese). Loved them. Rob wants me to make them for his next campout. 

Foil Packet Sweet Potato Tacos
YIELD: MAKES 6-8 FOIL PACKETS
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 pounds ground turkey or beef (I used beef)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1/2 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin 
  • 2 teaspoons ground coriander
  • 16 ounces tomato sauce
  • 1 jalapeño, seeded, membranes removed and finely chopped (keep seeds for more heat, if desired) (I skipped this, still good)
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 2 cups chopped fresh spinach (or more)
  • 2 cans (15-ounces each) beans (black, pinto, white), rinsed and drained (I used black)
  • 4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped small (1/2-inch pieces)
  • Garnishes: shredded cheese, sour cream, avocados or guacamole, salsa, olives, cilantro I added frozen corn, a few tortilla chips,  and Rob liked hot sauce
DIRECTIONS
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. 
  2. In a large 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, add the ground meat, salt, pepper, and onion. Cook, breaking the meat into small pieces, until the meat is cooked through. Drain any excess grease.
  3. Add the chili powder, cumin, coriander, tomato sauce and jalapeño (if using). Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the water, spinach and beans and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat. 
  4. Lightly grease the center of 6-8 foil pieces, each about 12-inches long. 
  5. Place about 1 cup of sweet potato chunks in the center of each piece of foil arranging them into somewhat of a single layer; sprinkle with salt and pepper (don't skip this step!). Add a heaping 1/2 cup or so of the meat mixture on top. Bring the long sides of foil together over the filling and fold tightly down. Fold and crimp each edge until tightly sealed and a little packet is formed. Repeat with all the pieces of foil and ingredients.
  6. Place the foil packets in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender. 
  7. Carefully open the foil packets and serve with taco toppings and garnishes of your choice.