Skinny Loaded Sweet Potato Bites
SuperBowl is this weekend and so many of you will be having lots of guests in your home to watch it on the big screen. SuperBowl & grub food are synonymous with each other but not all the food has to be a heart attack waiting to happen. Actually you can slim down so many of your favorite grub dishes to make them heart smart and waist friendly without sacrificing taste.
I got to thinking the other day what contribution I could make to my blog post for healthier SuperBowl dishes.
Sweet Potatoes are a favorite in my house, and when we decide to pull out all the stops, Loaded Potato Skins are right at the top of the list. That’s why I decided to make a healthier version to keep our bodies satisfied and nourished, without sacrificing flavor.
Sweet Potatoes are high in antioxidants, beta-carotene, Vitamins A, C, and B6. In light of their high sugar content, sweet potatoes help regulate blood sugar, even in type 2 diabetes patients. Studies have demonstrated that sweet potato extract has anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory potential, reducing inflammation in brain tissue and nerve tissue throughout the body, among a host of other health benefits. The list is endless!
While you might be planning to over indulge this coming Sunday, consider rethinking some of your dishes by creating healthier ones. No one has to know! So long as they taste great, that’s all anyone cares about. Quite frankly, most will be focused on the game and not even recall stuffing their faces until they over do it and feel it in their stomachs.
My Loaded Skinny Sweet Potato Bites are so easy. Besides a few simple ingredients, the most important is a sharp knife and cutting board.
My pictures didn’t turn out as well as I would have liked since it was cloudy out, but trust me on this one, these were wonderful!!!
Loaded Skinny Sweet Potato Bites
Grub food never tasted so good. You'll have your guests packing these away, especially when they realize how healthy and tasty they are!
Ingredients:
- 2 large Sweet Potatoes, skins brushed and washed
- 1 (15oz.) can Black Beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 Roasted Chicken, skin removed and diced
- 2 scallions, sliced thin
- 1 (2 cup) package low fat Cheddar Cheese or blend
- 1 (5 oz.) container Plain Fat-Free or Low Fat Greek Yogurt
- Sriracha Sauce, 1/2 tsp. or to taste
- Fresh Cilantro, for garnish
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 425F degrees.
- Slice Sweet Potatoes into 1/2-inch rounds on a diagonal creating a larger surface to load the goodies on.
- Place Sweet Potato slices onto a heavy-duty foil lined sheet pan that's been sprayed with nonstick spray. This will keep the starches from the potatoes sticking to the foil.
- Set pan in oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until starting to brown. Alternatively convection/bake for 20 minutes or until starting to brown.
- While potatoes are cooking, remove meat from roasted chicken and shred or cut into 1/2-inch cubes.
- Rinse black beans in a fine mesh strainer and allow to drain.
- Slice scallions.
- Combine chicken, beans, and scallions and set aside until potatoes are cooked.
- Mix Greek yogurt with sriracha and blend. Taste and adjust according to your palate.
- Once potatoes are cooked to your liking (be sure tip of a knife can be inserted easily) remove from oven.
- Pile filling on top of sweet potato rounds and top generously with cheese.
- Place back into oven and cook until cheese has melted. Approximately 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven. Top with a dollop of yogurt blend and garnish with cilantro.
Serve & Enjoy!!!
Note: If you prefer a crunchier sweet potato, leave in the oven until it gets well browned. Then remove and add toppings
Some other dishes you might enjoy for game day are (they’re not all heart smart):
Ooey Gooey Cheese Dip & Homemade Tortilla Chips –
Autumn Maple Tenderloin Chili –
