Toronto is a snowbank. Yes, that is an exaggeration, but only just. We’ve had snow pretty much every day for the past five. I know most of North America has had, um, “interesting” weather this week, so that’s why I’m bringing you something cozy. And it doesn’t get much cozier than a baked potato unless, of course, you stuff it with chili. What I love most about these Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes is they give you a warm fuzzy feeling even while you’re making. I don’t know about you, but I think any frigid day without a pot of something delicious simmering on the stove is a missed opportunity. So let’s not let the silver lining of this extreme weather go unclaimed.
Now, this recipe is far from rocket science. If you’ve mastered a can opener, you are more than prepared to take this on. Chili is basically many canned goods simmering together in a pot. In this case, a can of black beans, pinto beans, and red kidney beans. Yes, this is a vegetarian three-bean chili. Texans, look away.
I upped the ante with my veg chili by rounding it out with pureed chipotle peppers packed in adobo and a can of green chilis. Yes, more delicious cans! And from there, it was as simple as being patient, which if you’re like me, is not simple at all. But it’s worth the struggle, and you can get your laundry done while it’s happening. Not exactly a plus, but important.
With the chili part of these Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes out of the way, let’s talk spuds. While the chili is simmering, you can prepare your sweet potatoes for the oven. Nothing crazy here, just a little olive oil, salt, and an aluminum foil wrapping. And then you basically park the potatoes in the oven and walk away. There’s a lot of walking away in this recipe.
Now, I like to let my chili simmer for a good long while. Like, 2 hours. Sweet potatoes do not take 2 hours to roast. But you do want the potatoes hot and fresh from the oven when the chili is ready for them. So rather than stagger the start times, I opted to put the sweet potatoes in the oven at the beginning of the chili’s cook time. I roasted them at 400°F for 45 minutes and then I turned the oven off and let them coast until the chili was ready. The result was a perfectly cooked roast sweet potato with a creamy interior and crisp, salt-kissed skin. You can, of course, let your chili simmer for an hour and then put the sweet potatoes in the oven for the remaining hour, but I prefer to get the prep out of the way in one go.
As far as toppings for these Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes go, the sky is the limit. You can go as crazy as you like. I think crushed chips belong on just about anything, these burgers are evidence of that, but that’s just me. Aside from the tortilla chips, which are Tostitos Hint of Spicy Queso, by the way, these spuds are topped with cheddar cheese, yogurt, avocado, and cilantro. Again, all of these toppings are optional. And for the record, I am in no way affiliated with Tostitos – I actually prefer the Hint of Jalapeño but I haven’t been able to find them in months.
There isn’t much else to say about these Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes, which I guess speaks to the simplicity of the recipe. But there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. This is essentially a pantry meal, provided you’re a bean hoarder – a lifestyle I absolutely endorse. And there’s a lot of “choose your own adventure” style steps to these spuds, so I don’t want to be heavy-handed with my explanation. A baked potato is essentially a buffet food, so load your potato up with whatever your heart desires. The same goes for the chili. If you want ground beef in your chili, you best believe I want that for you. So make it happen.
So that’s everything you need to know about these Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Crushed Tortilla Chips. They are perfect for snowy days, rainy days, and every miserable style of weather in-between. So load them up and knock ’em down because it’ll be at least another month before we put our snow shovels away.
Enjoy!
Chili Stuffed Sweet Potatoes with Crushed Tortilla Chips
Equipment
- Large dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 sweet potatoes
- 4 tbsp olive oil divided
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 3 shallots halved and sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 (168ml, 6.5 fl oz) can chipolte peppers in adobo pureed
- 1 ½ tbsp chili powder
- 2 tsp granulated sugar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- ½ – 1 tsp cayenne pepper optional
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 cup lager-style beer
- 1 (796ml, 28 fl oz) can diced tomatoes
- 1 (127ml, 4.5 fl oz) can green chilies
- 1 (540 ml, 19 fl oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (540 ml, 19 fl oz) can pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 1 (540 ml, 19 fl oz) can kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
- ¼ cup yogurt
- 1 avocado sliced
- ½ cup tortilla chips crushed
- additional fresh cilantro for sprinkling
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place each potato on its own piece of tin foil. Drizzle half of the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle them evenly with the salt. Wrap the potatoes tightly in their pieces of tin foil and arrange them on a baking sheet. Pop the sheet in the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
- Once the 45 minutes have passed, turn the oven off but don't disturb the potatoes. Let them coast until the chili is ready.
- Once the potatoes are in the oven, make the chili. Pour the remaining olive oil into the dutch oven and place over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add the shallot and lower the heat medium-low. Add a sprinkle of salt and sweat the shallots until just translucent.
- Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the chipotle pepper puree and stir in the spices. Saute briefly.
- Deglaze the pot with beer and pour in the tomatoes, green chilies, and beans. Stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for an hour and 45 minutes, add more liquid if the chili starts to look dry.
- Once the chili is thick, stir in the corn and cook until the corn is heated through. Taste and season with salt accordingly. Take the chili off of the heat and stir in the chopped cilantro.
- Take the sweet potatoes out of the oven and carefully unwrap them. Split them down the middle and fill them generously with the chili. Top the potatoes with the shredded cheese, yogurt, avocado, crushed tortilla chips, and fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.
