Mexican Sweet Potato Casseroleis a healthy Tex-Mex dish combining sweet potatoes with shredded chicken, black beans, and corn – plus a spicy chipotle sauce and shredded cheese. This cheesy casserole is high in protein, low in calories, and it makes great leftovers that the whole family will love!
Sweet potatoes are a popular food around here. They are most definitely one of my hubby’s favorite foods. And why not? They are a major superfood. So while he rarely requests anything special for dinner, he does request sweet potatoes A LOT.
In this recipe, we combine our well-loved sweet potatoes with our favorite ingredients for a truly great recipe. Mexican food done right!
Why we LOVE this Mexican Casserole:
Full of healthy ingredients.
Slightly spicy, but not too much.
Lots of flavor and is one of our favorite Mexican recipes.
Sweet Potatoes – Either 3 large sweet potatoes, or just over three pounds are needed. I boiled mine in some nicely salted water, but you could bake and then mash as well.
Chicken – To save time, I used rotisserie chicken. You could also bake some chicken in the oven, and then shred. You could also use leftover chicken from our Lemon Garlic Baked Chicken or make it your favorite way.
Black Beans – Make sure you rinse well and then strain.
Chipotle peppers – Use as much as you like, according to your taste buds. I used about a 7 oz. can and it’s very moderately spicy. Not too much at all.
Cheese – Just 8 ounces of Mexican cheese for the top of the casserole. Add more for cheese lovers!
What is Mexican Cheese? Here in the US, I tend to buy the Tillamook Mexican blend which is a combo of cheddar cheese, Monterey cheese, queso quesadilla cheese, and asadero cheese. Feel free to make your own combo! We also love pepper jack cheese.
NOTE: If you aren’t a spice-loving girl like me, you may want to reduce the amount of chipotle peppers in the sauce. I don’t feel it’s overly spicy but everyone’s taste buds are different. You do you!
How to make Mexican Sweet Potato Casserole:
Step 1 Boil the potatoes. In a medium saucepan, add sweet potatoes and cover with water and salt – over medium-high heat. Cook until potatoes are fork-tender. Strain potatoes, and mash them with a potato masher. Add a splash of chicken broth to make it a bit creamy. Spread sweet potato mixture in an even layer in a 9×11 casserole dish.
Step 2 Shred the chicken. When rotisserie chicken is cool, shred into bite sized pieces. You can also bake some chicken, seasoned well with olive oil, salt, and pepper – and then shred.
Step 3 Make sauce. In a blender, add diced tomatoes, chipotle peppers, cumin, onion powder, salt, and pepper. Sauté chopped onion in a small pan with olive oil until soft. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add the onion and garlic to the blender, and pulse until well combined.
Step 4 Combine. In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, the rinsed and drained black beans, the corn, and the sauce. Mix well, and spoon evenly over the sweet potato mash.
Step 5 Add cheese. Sprinkle the Mexican cheese over the top of the casserole, and then if desired, add some reserved black beans.
Step 6 Bake. Bake in a 350 preheated oven for approximately 30-40 minutes, or until heated through. If casserole is made in advance and stored in the refrigerator, bake for longer, but cover the baking dish with aluminum foil for about half of the baking time.
Step 7 Sauté onions and peppers. Sauté some thinly sliced onions and bell peppers to serve with this casserole. Or pair with another side of your choice.
Step 8 Serve. Serve casserole with sautéed onions and peppers, some avocado slices, and some chopped cilantro. Use your favorite toppings.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. We love to meal prep this casserole and add leftovers to small containers with lids.
What to serve with this Sweet Potato Black Bean Casserole:
Veggies – If desired, sauté some onions, colored bell peppers, and some jalapeño peppers (for some kick).
Avocado – I highly recommend serving this casserole with some avocado slices or the BEST Chunky Guacamole! Not just for tortilla chips, friends.
Top it with some simplePico de Gallo or a dollop of sour cream. Some chunky salsa would be great too.
3poundssweet potatoes – plus a splash of chicken broth
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper– to taste
4cupsshredded chicken– I use rotisserie chicken
30oz.black beans– rinsed & drained
15ozcorn
8-10oz.Mexican cheese– or use pepper jack
The Sauce:
1Tablespoonolive oil
1mediumonion– chopped
4clovesgarlic– minced
7oz.can chipotle peppers in adobe sauce
30oz.fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1Tablespoonground cumin
2teaspoonsonion powder
salt & pepper to taste
To serve:
sauteed peppers and onions– to serve
sliced avocado and chopped cilantro– to serve
Start by peeling and chopping three large sweet potatoes. Cover with water, add salt, and boil until soft. Remove from heat and strain. Then mash and add a little bit of chicken broth to make it creamy. Spread in 9×11 casserole dish.
3 pounds sweet potatoes, kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
Shred a rotisserie chicken (or bake your own).
For the sauce:
In a blender, combine the diced tomatoes, the chipotle peppers, the ground cumin, and the onion powder.
30 oz. fire-roasted diced tomatoes, 7 oz. can chipotle peppers in adobe sauce, 1 Tablespoon ground cumin, 2 teaspoons onion powder
In a small saute pan, cook onion in olive oil for a few minutes, or until soft. Add the minced garlic, and stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add to the blender.
1 Tablespoon olive oil, 1 medium onion, 4 cloves garlic, salt & pepper to taste
Blend all ingredients. Remove one cup of the sauce for serving.
To assemble the casserole:
In a large bowl, combine the shredded chicken, the black beans, corn, and the sauce (except for one cup). Stir well to combine. Spread over the sweet potatoes.
4 cups shredded chicken, 30 oz. black beans, 15 oz corn
Add the Mexican cheese (or pepper jack cheese) to the top of the casserole. I also reserved some black beans and sprinkled them on the top for decoration.
8-10 oz. Mexican cheese
Bake on 350 for 30-40 minutes, or until warm throughout.
Serve with sauteed onions and peppers, some sliced avocado, and some chopped cilantro. The reserved sauce can be added for extra sauciness!
sauteed peppers and onions, sliced avocado and chopped cilantro
NOTE: If you aren’t a spice-loving girl like me, you may want to reduce the amount of chipotle peppers in the sauce. I don’t feel it’s overly spicy but everyone’s taste buds are different. You do you!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days. We love to meal prep this casserole and add leftovers to small containers with lids.
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