These roasted sweet potato black bean pitas are delicious and are guaranteed to satisfy anyone’s appetite. I’m a HUGE fan of sweet potatoes because they are oh-so-yummy and are full of vitamins and nutrients. Plus, with so many different ways to enjoy them (as you will soon discover) its almost impossible to get bored with them!
I always try and cook meals with ingredients that I can incorporate into other recipes during the week. I HATE wasting groceries. In my opinion, throwing un-used produce in the trash is like throwing money out the window or kissing that new pair of shoes I want good-bye. Since I usually only cook for myself and one other person, incorporating ingredients into other dishes I plan on cooking throughout the week is a high priority. At the beginning of the week I always sit down and make a recipe or grocery list to help keep my grocery runs organized and help prevent me from over-buying. This habit helps keep my belly (and my wallet) full. I have to admit that it took me a while to master this trick because let’s be honest, no one wants to eat the same thing for dinner Monday, and Tuesday, and Wednesday, and Thursday…at least I don’t.
Let’s talk about this recipe.
NOTE: Before you get started or go on your grocery run, make sure you have enough non-stick foil to wrap as many pitas (up to 6) as you plan on making. We will roast our sweet potatoes and veggies in a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish and add a can of black beans into the mixture after removing from the oven. We will then stuff our pita halves with kale or baby spinach (whichever you prefer), goat cheese, the sweet potato black bean mix, and wrap the pitas with foil.
A great thing about this recipe is that you can store the left over veggie mix in the fridge for about 5 days, OR you can store your foil wrapped ready-to-go pitas in the fridge for about 3 days. When you’re ready to eat your foil wrapped ready-to-go pitas, all you have to do it pop them in the oven for 15 minutes and ta-da dinner is served. I tend to buy the prepackaged whole-wheat kangaroo brand pita halves. Each half is only 100 calories AND they’re pre-cut which makes stuffing them quick and simple.
I love this recipe because its super healthy and makes a lot of food… 6 servings to be exact! When I make this recipe I usually cook 4 pitas (storing 2 in the fridge to eat later on in the week) and use the leftover veggie mix to make a sweet potato-black bean quinoa chili. I will be posting this recipe within the next week, so be on the lookout for it!
So, regardless of if you’re attempting to feed a large group or trying to figure out how to consume all of the food you cook without eating the same meal 3 days in a row, this dish is perfect for you!
- • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- • 2 jalapenos, diced
- • 1 red bell pepper, diced
- • 1 red onion, diced
- • 2 Tbs olive oil
- • 2 tsp cumin
- • 2 tsp chili powder
- • 1 tsp paprika
- • 1 tsp salt
- • 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
- • 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- • Juice of 1 lime
- • 2 cups of baby kale or baby spinach
- • 1/2 cup goat cheese crumbles
- • Whole wheat pita pocket halves
- • Non-stick cooking spray
- • 9 x 13 Casserole dish
- • Foil
- • Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
- • Peel and dice sweet potatoes, jalapenos, onion, and red bell pepper.
- • In Casserole dish, combine veggies with olive oil and spices. Mix well so that veggies are evenly coated with olive oil and spices.
- • Roast veggies at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, tossing about halfway through.
- • When veggies are done roasting, remove from oven and let cool.
- • Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.
- • Add cilantro, black beans, and lime juice to roasted veggies. Mix gently. (At this point veggie mixture can be stored for later use).
- • Lightly spray PAM or non-stick cooking spray on the outside of the pita and place a handful of kale or spinach inside the pita along with 1 tablespoon of goat cheese.
- • Scoop veggie mix into pita until and wrap with foil.
- • Place the foil wrapped pita in a clean oven safe baking dish.
- • Once all pitas have been stuffed and are wrapped in foil, align side by side in the baking dish and spray tops of foil with non-stick spray.
- • Bake pitas in oven at 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.
- • When finished, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
- • Remove foil and top pitas with remainder of goat cheese and enjoy!
- Pre-make your pitas and wrap them in foil. They can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. When you're ready to eat them, follow the directions above and bake them in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
