It’s winter. Winter sucks. Winter makes it hard to take a picture of food inside of your house. Winter makes you rush home to throw together a meal in hopes of catching the last few rays of sunlight as they peek through your kitchen window. Winter makes you put the food as close as you can to the window, use a piece of foil to reflect added light towards the dish, and pray that the photos won’t be too dark. I curse winter. I want those long days of summer to return, with their hours of evening sunlight.
Don’t allow these dark winter ruined photos to discourage you from making this casserole/appetizer. First of all, it’s just so damn simple to make, and allows you to customize it with all of your favorite toppings when serving. Secondly, it is just so damn amazing. Sometimes the simplest dishes really are the best. This recipe is a keeper, a dish that I want to make for everyone I love. So who’s having a party? Who wants me to show up on their doorstep, casserole dish in hand, cursing winter for it’s seemingly never-ending cold darkness?
Ingredients:
- 1 Large Sweet Onion, Finely Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Salted Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, Thinly Sliced
- 1 (15-oz) Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
- 3 Teaspoons Taco Seasoning, Divided
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into Small Pieces
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
- 1 Cup Freshly Shredded White Cheddar
- Sour Cream, Avocado, and Olives (Optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Sauté the diced onion in the butter and olive oil for 5 minutes, over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the onion, sweet potatoes, black beans, and 2 teaspoons of the taco seasoning.
- Dump the mixture into a large glass baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 50 minutes.
- Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning with the chicken, and evenly distribute it over the potato and bean mixture.
- Recover the baking dish, and then bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the dish from the oven, top with the parsley and cheese, and then recover for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. There is no need to place the dish back in the oven; the steam and heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese.
- Serve with sour cream, avocado, and olives if desired.
Suggestions:
- Use a mandoline to slice the sweet potatoes.
- Make your own homemade taco seasoning.
Improvements:
- Add the juice of a lemon or a lime to the sweet potato and bean mixture.
- Use cilantro instead of parsley in this recipe.
- More cheese. You can never go wrong with more cheese.
Ingredients:
- 1 Large Sweet Onion, Finely Diced
- 1 Tablespoon Salted Butter
- 1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 2 Large Sweet Potatoes, Thinly Sliced
- 1 (15-oz) Can Black Beans, Rinsed and Drained
- 3 Teaspoons Taco Seasoning, Divided
- 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cut into Small Pieces
- 1/4 Cup Fresh Parsley, Finely Chopped
- 1 Cup Freshly Shredded White Cheddar
- Sour Cream, Avocado, and Olives (Optional)
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Sauté the diced onion in the butter and olive oil for 5 minutes, over medium heat.
- In a large bowl, mix together the onion, sweet potatoes, black beans, and 2 teaspoons of the taco seasoning.
- Dump the mixture into a large glass baking dish, cover tightly with foil, and bake for 50 minutes.
- Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon of taco seasoning with the chicken, and evenly distribute it over the potato and bean mixture.
- Recover the baking dish, and then bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the dish from the oven, top with the parsley and cheese, and then recover for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. There is no need to place the dish back in the oven; the steam and heat from the potatoes will melt the cheese.
- Serve with sour cream, avocado, and olives if desired.
