BAKED BLACK BEAN & SWEET POTATO TAQUITOS
Holiday weekends are always hard to say goodbye to. I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s missing family time, stress-free days, late game nights, and an endless supply of delicious leftovers. It’s nice knowing that we only have a couple more weeks before Christmas (which I get to spend with my entire family for the first time in five years)! With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season it may be difficult to make healthy meals. Not to mention, your food budget may be significantly lower in December to adjust for purchasing gifts. There’s no need to live off of Mac & Cheese or $5 pizzas for the next month!
Today I’m starting a new recipe series called “Feed 4 Under $10.” My goal is to create healthy recipes that your family will love with a price that fits your budget. Healthy food often gets a reputation of being more expensive but that is not always the case! I made these taquitos recently and they were a hit. I baked about half the recipe and froze the remaining taquitos. I love having frozen ones because they are the most convenient lunch to feed my toddler! These are full of fresh, flavorful ingredients that you can feel good feeding your family.
Here’s a breakdown of the price of each ingredient used in the recipe. Each price is for the portion used (you will have leftover ingredients to use). I’m not including prices of the spices because I don’t think they would significantly change the price of this meal.
Corn Tortillas: $0.97
Sweet Potato: $0.65
Bottled Salsa: $0.20
Lime Juice: $0.29
Canned Black Beans: $0.69
Red Bell Pepper: $0.95
Shredded Monterrey Jack Cheese: $1.69
Total Cost: $5.44
Not too shabby for a delicious and nutritious home-cooked meal! I think it’s nearly impossible to feed a family of four for this price with fast food. Prices may vary depending on brands, items on sale, and time of year but I think it’s safe to say that this meal will always be under $10. For a couple dollars more you could serve these with a side salad and of course some sour cream and salsa.
BAKED BLACK BEAN & SWEET POTATO TAQUITOS
INGREDIENTS
- 1 medium sweet potato, shredded in food processor
- 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons bottled or homemade salsa
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2.5 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ cup diced red bell pepper
- 1.5 cups shredded cheese (Monterrey Jack or pepper jack)
- 14-16 corn tortillas (6-inch size)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and coat a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
- Chop uncooked sweet potato into medium-sized pieces and place in food processor. Blend sweet potatoes until you have small pieces (about the size of a shredded carrot, or smaller).
- Add ¾ cup of the black beans to the food processor. with salsa, spices, and lime juice. Process until smooth and all ingredients are combined.
- Place all remaining ingredients (not the tortillas but including remaining beans) in a bowl and evenly mix together.
- Wrap 5 corn tortillas in damp paper towels and microwave for about 1 minute. Tortillas should be soft enough to easily roll.
- Place 1 heaping tablespoon of filling on each tortilla, roll to form a taquito, and place seam-down on the cookie sheet. Repeat this process until all taquitos are made.
- Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until taquitos are to your desired crispness.
