These quinoa sweet potatoes make a hearty, flavorful vegetarian meal. They are stuffed with quinoa, black beans, and warm spices and finished with cheese sauce and salsa for a satisfying balance of texture and taste.
I first made this recipe the year I grew quinoa in my garden. Our plants reached over six feet tall with flowering heads in shades of red, purple, and yellow. They added a stunning pop of color to the garden. That's when I learned that quinoa isn't a grain; it's a seed, and I was surprised to find that it's part of the spinach and Swiss chard family.
About twenty years ago, quinoa rose from the depths of obscure health food to something that most Americans are at least vaguely familiar with today. It's a low-fat, high-protein food that, as we know, acts and cooks similarly to common grains.
The quinoa I grew at home was a fun experiment. But it has only made me appreciate the farmers who grow it even more. Despite our massive plants, we only ended up with a couple of cups of quinoa by the end of the season. It’s a plant worth experimenting with if you’re looking to try growing something new, but you'll have to plant quite a bit - and spend a fair amount of time removing the outer coating - to make it worthwhile.
😍 Why You'll Love These Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- They make a filling vegetarian meal. A stuffed potato may not sound like much of a meal, but this recipe will surely fill you up.
- They are a good source of protein, fiber, Vitamins A and C, and calcium. That sounds healthy to me.
- They have taco vibes. It helps that they're finished off with salsa, cheese sauce, and cilantro.
Want more stuffed vegetable inspiration? Try my Stuffed Peppers with Tomato Sauce, Polish Golumpki, and Simple Stuffed Zucchini recipes. Or for another tasty bean recipe, how about Beans and Chorizo with Spinach?
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🍠 Ingredients
Here's everything you need to make quinoa stuffed sweet potatoes.
Key Ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: Aim for four, around 8-10 ounces each. The size of sweet potatoes can vary so much, so if you have to use a few extra smaller ones or a couple of larger ones that you cut in half, that's fine. Aim for about two to two and a half pounds in total.
- Quinoa: A half cup of raw quinoa will make about one and a half cups of cooked quinoa for the recipe. I prefer to rinse quinoa before cooking to help remove the outer coating, which can be bitter and cause stomach issues for some people.
- Black beans: You'll need one can of rinsed black beans or one and a half cups of precooked dried black beans. If you don't love black beans, try chickpeas or just about any other bean instead.
- Onion and bell pepper: Chopped and sauteed with garlic, they add flavor and substance to the quinoa filling.
- Cheese: Grated cheddar is melted into warm milk to make a quick cheese sauce.
- Salsa: Use your favorite salsa to top the stuffed sweet potatoes before serving. You
Check out the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
🧀 Substitutions & Variations
- Potatoes: This recipe would be equally tasty with regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes.
- Skip the cheese sauce: To save a few minutes, skip the cheese sauce and sprinkle shredded cheddar over the stuffed potatoes instead.
- Other beans: Try pinto, garbanzo, or kidney beans.
- Make them spicy: Top the potatoes with a few pickled jalapenos.
🔪 Instructions
How to make these quinoa sweet potatoes.
- Step 1: Stab the sweet potatoes with a fork. Brush the skins with a bit of oil (optional). Bake in a 400-degree oven until tender, about 45 minutes.
- Step 2: Meanwhile, chop the onion, pepper, garlic, and cilantro.
- Step 3: Saute the onion, pepper, and garlic in the olive oil until tender, about 7-8 minutes.
- Step 4: While the vegetables cook, rinse the quinoa, then add it to a small pan with ¾ cup water. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until tender.
- Step 5: Add the coriander, cumin, cinnamon, and salt to the pan of vegetables. Then, stir in the black beans.
- Step 6: Toss the cooked quinoa into the pan.
- Step 7: Add the milk to a saucepan and heat over low. When warm, stir in the grated cheese. Mix the cornstarch with a splash of water and add to the pan, stirring into the cheese.
- Step 8: Cook over low heat while stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce has thickened.
- Step 9: Let the potatoes cool until you can easily handle them. Then slice them open, but don't cut all the way through.
- Step 10: Top the sweet potatoes with the filling, salsa, cheese sauce, and cilantro. Serve warm.
✨ Helpful Tips
- You can save some time by partially cooking the sweet potatoes in the microwave for 10 minutes. Then finish them in the oven for another 15-20 minutes or until easily pierced with a knife.
- You can also bake the sweet potatoes in advance up to two days in advance and just make the quinoa stuffing the day of serving.
- The cheese sauce should be made over low heat. Too high of heat will cause it to thicken too much. If it does thicken to the point of being unable to pour, especially if you reheat leftovers, whisk in a little warm milk until it has thinned.
🥡 Leftovers
Store the sweet potatoes and quinoa stuffing in the fridge for up to four days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until heated through. I prefer to store the quinoa potatoes separately and assemble them with the toppings upon reheating and serving.
🙋🏻♂️ FAQ
Quinoa, with its chewy texture, nutty flavor, and slightly bitter undertones, pairs well with a soft and sweet vegetable like sweet potato. Together, they offer a good range of nutrients, and both benefit from seasoning with bold spices like cumin and cinnamon.
Of course. Quinoa and sweet potatoes together are a good source of fiber, protein, and carbohydrates. They also offer complementary flavors and textures. Try stuffing sweet potatoes with quinoa or making a quinoa salad with diced sweet potato.
It depends on what you're stuffing them with and what you consider healthy. This recipe with quinoa, black beans, and cheese sauce is a good source of protein, fiber, calcium and Vitamin A and C.
🍞 Pairing
Try pairing these recipes with quinoa stuffed sweet potatoes:
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📖 Recipe
Quinoa Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These quinoa sweet potatoes make a hearty, flavorful vegetarian meal. They are stuffed with quinoa, black beans, and warm spices and finished with cheese sauce and salsa for a satisfying balance of texture and taste.
Ingredients
- 4 large sweet potatoes (about 10 ounces each)
- ½ cup quinoa
- 1 medium onion
- 1 bell pepper
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (15 ounce) can of black beans, drained
- ½ cup milk
- 8 ounces shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup of salsa
Instructions
- Bake the sweet potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Stab the sweet potatoes with a fork and place them on a small baking sheet. Brush them with a little olive oil for crispier skin—but it's totally optional, especially if you don't like to eat the skin. Roast the potatoes in the oven for 45 minutes to an hour or until tender.
- Cook the quinoa. Rinse the quinoa in a fine sieve. In a small saucepan, combine the quinoa with ¾ cup water. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and gently cook for about 10 minutes or until tender and the water is absorbed.
- Prep and cook the vegetables. While the quinoa and potatoes cook, roughly chop the onion, pepper, and cilantro. Mince the garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the vegetables but save the cilantro for serving. Cook until softened, about 7-8 minutes, stirring often and adding a splash of water if the pan dries out. Season with the spices and salt, cook for another minute while stirring.
- Combine the filling ingredients. Stir the black beans and cooked quinoa into the pan of vegetables. Taste the filling and season with additional salt, if needed.
- Make the cheese sauce. Wipe out the pan you cooked the quinoa in, then add the milk and heat over low until warm. Stir in the shredded cheese and let melt into the milk for a few minutes. Stir the cornstarch into a couple of tablespoons of water until combined. Add this to the cheese, stir some more, and keep cooking over low until you get the consistency of a thick cheese sauce.
- Assemble the quinoa sweet potatoes. Split the roasted sweet potatoes open. Divide the quinoa mixture over the potatoes. Drizzle over some queso cheese sauce and spoon over some salsa. Then sprinkle the cilantro over the top and serve.
Notes
Short on time? Cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave for 10 minutes before finishing in the oven for another 15-20 minutes.
If you have extra filling and cheese sauce leftover, combine them with tortilla chips and some more salsa to make vegetarian nachos.
The cheese sauce should be made over low heat. Too high of heat will cause it to thicken too much. If it does thicken to the point of being unable to pour, especially if you reheat leftovers, whisk in a little warm milk until it has thinned.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 45
- Category: Dinners
- Method: Roasting
- Cuisine: Peruvian
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