002 / 75 · Bowls, breakfasts and small meals
Black Bean and Cheddar Sweet Potato Halves
2 loaded sweet potato halves; 1 half and half the filling and toppings per serving · Active 13 min · Cook 15 min · Total 30 min
Print recipe · PDFOne large sweet potato can become two complete small meals when the filling is counted as part of the portion. Black beans and a little salsa make a soft, savory center, with cheddar melted into the top. The microwave cooks the potato and the bean bowl in sequence; the potato’s resting time is useful working time rather than a promise that two things are heating at once.
Match the potato to the clock
Use one sweet potato close to the stated 350 g (about 12.3 oz), with a reasonably even shape. A very thick root needs longer in the middle even when its ends feel soft. Pierce the skin before cooking and turn it halfway through. The flesh should offer almost no resistance to a knife before you split it; melted cheese cannot make an undercooked center tender.
A filling that stays on the halves
Drain the beans well and use a spoonable salsa rather than a thin pouring sauce. Heat that mixture in its own bowl while the potato stands outside the microwave. Then divide it over both halves, keeping it low enough to heat evenly. The spring onion and lime are measured finishing ingredients, so each serving receives the same complete plate.
Ingredients
- 1 sweet potato, 350 g (about 12.3 oz), scrubbed and dried
- 160 g (about 5.6 oz) canned black beans, drained and rinsed, ready to eat
- 120 g (about 4.2 oz) ready-to-eat tomato salsa
- 40 g (about 1.4 oz) cheddar, grated
- 20 g (about 0.71 oz) spring onion, finely sliced
- 10 ml (about 2 US tsp) lime juice
- 5 ml (about 1 US tsp) olive oil
- 0.8 g ground cumin, about ⅓ tsp
- 1 g (about ⅛ US tsp plus a small pinch) fine salt, or less if the salsa is salty
Set out
1000 W microwave with turntable, Microwave-safe dinner plate, at least 26 cm (about 10¼ in) across, Microwave-safe bowl, 750 ml (about 3.2 US cups) capacity, Microwave-safe vented covers sized for bowl and plate, Fork, Knife and board, Spoon, Kitchen scale and measuring spoon, Food thermometer, Oven mitts
Allergens
Milk. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Prick the sweet potato in 8–10 places with the fork. Set it on the plate; do not wrap in foil. Microwave at 1000 W full power for 4 minutes. Turn it with mitts, then cook another 4–6 minutes until a knife slides through the thickest part easily. Use 30-second extra bursts if necessary. Let it stand on the plate for 3 minutes.
- While the potato stands outside the oven, stir the beans, salsa, olive oil, cumin and salt in the 750 ml (about 3.2 US cups) bowl. Cover with the vented cover. Microwave at full power for 90 seconds, stir from the bottom, then heat another 60–90 seconds until the filling is hot throughout.
- Split the potato lengthways into two halves. Fluff the exposed flesh lightly with a fork while keeping the skins intact. Divide all the bean filling between the halves and put 20 g (about 0.71 oz) cheddar over each. Cover the plate loosely with its microwave-safe cover.
- Microwave at full power for 1–2 minutes, turning the plate halfway through if needed, until the cheese has softened and the center of the filling in both halves reaches 165°F/74°C. Stand covered for 2 minutes. Finish each half with 10 g (about 0.35 oz) spring onion and 5 ml (about 1 US tsp) lime juice. Serve one complete half per person.
The plate must turn freely
Check the 26 cm (about 10¼ in) plate fits your oven and can rotate before cooking. A plate jammed against the wall changes the heating pattern.
Packing a later lunch
Refrigerate the cooked portions promptly. Carry cold with ice packs and reheat at the destination; the 30-minute ready-to-eat clock does not include chilling for travel.
Ingredient labels
Check salsa and any plant-based cheese for wheat, soy, milk or nut ingredients.
A useful detail
The 30-minute total allows up to 10 minutes for the potato, up to 3 minutes for the filling, 2 minutes for the final melt and the covered stand. The filling heats during the potato’s 3-minute stand; there is one oven and the heating stages remain sequential. A thicker potato may extend the estimate. Times are starting ranges for a 1000 W microwave. Use the stated power setting, stir and turn as directed, and use the food endpoint rather than the clock alone. A different wattage or bowl shape may need additional short bursts.
Another way
- Use 160 g (about 5.6 oz) drained ready-to-eat canned kidney beans instead of black beans; do not substitute raw or merely soaked dried beans.
- Replace the cheddar with 40 g (about 1.4 oz) grated plant-based melting cheese. Check its milk, soy and nut labels; keep the same complete hot-filling endpoint.
Keep it well
Cool leftover filled halves in shallow covered containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or colder. Use within 3 days. Reheat one half covered in short bursts, turn midway and check 165°F/74°C in several places; stand covered 2 minutes. Keep unused spring onion cold separately.