Prep Time:Ingredients
For the roasted sweet potatoes:
- 3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced into 3/4″ rounds (about 6 medium)
- 2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil (I use avocado oil)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- pepper to taste
For the veggie-packed taco meat:
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced (or use a shallot!)
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 8 oz mushrooms, diced
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced (optional)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- pepper, to taste
- 1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce (if you want the taco mixture to be saucier, you can use a 15-oz can)
- 3-4 large handfuls of raw baby spinach
Optional, for serving: avocado, cilantro, chopped green onions, salsa, and if you want something crunchy, pumpkin seeds or plantain chips!
Instructions
For the sweet potatoes:
- Stir potato slices in a bowl with oil, salt and pepper until evenly coated. Place them on a foil-lined and greased baking sheet in a single layer. Cover the pan tightly with foil.
- Put the pan in a COLD oven and turn on to 425. Bake 30 minutes.
- Remove foil and cook about 15 minutes until bottoms are beginning to brown. Flip slices and continue to roast until tops and bottoms are as brown as you like, about 15-20 minutes more.
For the taco meat:
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the veggies as you get them cut up (I add them in the order they are listed – if you’re using different veggies, add firmer/longer-cooking ones first and more delicate veggies last). Add a little salt and cook until they are tender. I like to let them get a tiny bit brown, especially the mushrooms. Put the cooked veggies in a bowl and set aside.
- Put the pan back on the heat and increase the temperature to medium-high. Add the beef and brown, breaking it up with a spoon and stirring as it cooks. When it’s almost done, add the garlic and jalapeño and cook for another minute. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
- Add the vegetables back in, and the can of tomato sauce. Stir in the spinach and let the mixture simmer for a couple of minutes until the spinach wilts. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve:
Layer the sweet potato rounds into a bowl, then add a scoop of the taco meat mixture. Add whatever toppings and garnishes you want and enjoy!
Notes
The roasted sweet potatoes also appear on the site here – one of my first posts!
The taco meat mixture was inspired by these veggie-packed baked burritos and this faster-than-fast-food taco meat!