This sweet potato skillet is comforting, satisfying and the perfect lunch to take to work. Seriously, it smells so good when you reheat it! People will want to know what you’re eating, and then you can show them how easy and colorful and delicious of a meal prep this is.
Consider this a bit of a template meal, one where you can swap out some of the ingredients if desired, depending on what you have on hand. But it’s versatile and filling and naturally plant-based.
What’s in this sweet potato skillet
It’s pretty simple: sweet potatoes, kale, tomatoes, peppers, and some seasonings. Sweet potatoes add a lot of flavor, a touch of sweetness, and they cook pretty quickly. You can put this together fairly quickly, and adapt as needed.
How to customize this sweet potato skillet
You can use whatever vegetables you want in this meal. Brussels, zucchini, chopped asparagus, green beans, or chopped eggplant would all work… as long as there’s a sweet potato base.
If you’re not into black beans, you can swap them out for a different kind of legume, chicken, sausage or ground meat. Red beans work well as a replacement; so do chickpeas.
If you wanted to add a plant-based protein, I would add tempeh since it has a delicious earthy flavor. But tofu works ok, too. You can check out our roundup of easy tempeh recipes for cooking tips if you’ve never used it before.
Feel free to use spinach or Swiss chard instead of kale. We’ve used curly kale in this recipe, but you can also use lacinato (aka dinosaur) kale, or any other kind you like. Baby spinach wilts really fast in the pan so just be aware of that if you opt for that type of spinach.
How to top this, if desired? I include cheese in this recipe, but feel free to go nuts and make it your own with sauces, avocado, salsa, etc. I also like to keep the sort of Southwestern direction at times and add some chopped fresh cilantro and lime.
Related: 25+ Vegetarian Meal Prep Ideas
How to serve, store and reheat this sweet potato skillet
You can serve this right out of the skillet with nothing else added, or top with some fresh herbs (cilantro is great, followed by fresh oregano, or even parsley). I also love to serve it with some bread or even just tortilla chips in a pinch.
If you want a more full-fledged meal and feel like it needs something more starchy than just the potatoes, add quinoa or rice if you want to bulk it up a bit. Just cook those items separately. You can also prep those items and freeze them in zip-close freezer bags so they’re ready to go whenever you need them, to add as a dish as you go.
This meal can last in the fridge for up to five days, in a covered container, and is freezer friendly! You can keep it in the freezer for up to three months. You can thaw it in the refrigerator of course, but we like to reheat it on the stove, gently, or in the microwave.
Happy prepping 🙂
Other recipes you’ll love
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- Meal Prep-Friendly Jackfruit Tacos With Elote
- Veggie Mac And Cheese With Cauliflower, Zucchini, And Bell Pepper
- Roasted Veggie Sandwiches | Meal Prep Friendly!
- Vegan Shepherd’s Pie With Lentils (Meal Prep-Friendly!)
- Vegetarian Quesadillas With Sweet Potato And Black Beans
You can find all our free recipes here!
Sweet Potato Skillet
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP olive oil
- 1/2 red onion diced
- 1 sweet potato cut into cubes
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 bell pepper chopped
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1 15 oz (425g) can of black beans rinsed and drained
- 1 cup corn canned or frozen
- 1 medium tomato chopped, optional
- 1 bunch kale or spinach, chopped, optional
- Shredded cheddar cheese to taste, optional
Instructions
- Add oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once it's hot, add the onion and cook for two minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in the sweet potatoes, garlic and a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. Cook uncovered for three minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the bell pepper and continue to cook uncovered for two minutes. Add the cumin, chili powder, beans, corn, tomato and more salt, to taste. Stir to combine. Reduce heat and cover the pan. Cook on low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat, add the greens and stir until they have wilted slightly. If you want to add cheese, you can do it one of two ways: top it upon serving, or add as much or as little as you'd like and stir until it's melted.
- Divide the skillet into three containers. Let the contents cool before covering and putting in the fridge. Enjoy!
Holly says
This is delicious. My daughter and I both went back for seconds. The only problem was not enough leftovers. So I’m making it again this week too.
Carrie Havranek says
That is a good problem to have! Glad you are finding enjoyment with this recipe.
Carrie Havranek says
Feel free to also make a double batch next time!