Okay, YUM alert. This Spicy Sweet Potato Chili Bake is one of my favourite recipes to date for sure. A lovely bake-ahead creation that you can serve up as it is or freeze portions of – it’s definitely lunchbox friendly!

Recipe (Serves 5)

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp mild chilli powder
• 1 red onion
• 1 bell peppers (aim for two different colours!)
• 1 medium courgette
• 1 400ml tins of chopped tomatoes
• 3 tbsp of tomato puree
• 1 400g tin of mixed beans or 1 400g tin of beans of choice
• 300ml water
• A twist of black pepper & a pinch of sea salt, to season
• 150g of feta, crumbled up
• 1 medium sweet potato

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (non-fan oven). Line a baking tray with tinfoil greased with a little olive or rapeseed oil. Slice the sweet potato into round shapes. When the oven is ready, place the rounds onto the baking tray and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, turning halfway. You’ll know they are done if a fork pierces the sweet potato flesh easily. Note that you can cook your chili while the sweet potato rounds are roasting! When the sweet potato is done, remove the tray from the oven and set aside – take care with the heat.
2. Prepare your veggies first by washing and dicing them up and setting them aside in small bowls (onion, garlic, peppers, courgette). Peel and finely dice the garlic.
3. Heat the oil in a large pot, and add the onions and garlic, and fry until the onions are translucent.
4. Add all of the spices to the onions and cook for another 3-4 minutes until coated.
5. Add the peppers and courgette, stir again, then add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree and water, and mix it all up until the veggies are fully coated in the spices – another 5-ish minutes.
6. Next, add the beans, and stir again.
7. Stir again, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot with a lid.
8. Leave to simmer for about 15-20 minutes, stirring the chili every few minutes during this period.
9. Pour the chili mix into a square baking dish, ensuring it is evenly spread out.
10. Place the sweet potato rounds on top as in the photo above. Then sprinkle the feta on top.
11. Place the square dish back in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Yours may be done sooner – at 15 minutes, have a peek. If the sauce is bubbling and the feta has melted down, you’re good to go – remove from the oven.
12. Allow to cool for a few minutes, then serve up and tuck in!
13. You can store portions of this bake in the fridge for up to 4 days. It’s also suitable for freezing – ensure it is defrosted fully before consumption.

Enjoy guys! Be sure to tag me if you try it out – @theirishbalance on Instagram/Twitter/Facebook!

Ciara 🙂 x