Crockpot Vegetarian Tacos - with Black Beans and Sweet Potatoes

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Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time8 hrs

Servings: 6 -8 servings

School is back in, it is getting dark outside earlier... we are watching TV again, which means the Star Trek marathons have begun. All I can say is I find Star Trek far more entertaining than Sunday afternoon football. So far my kids agree with me - expecting this to change eventually, but for now, Star Trek gets more votes.

Exactly two votes on Z's lists of favourites....

Yeah, I'm bragging. Happy to report that my kid is as nerdy as her parents.

Star Trek has nothing to do with this meal.

Or maybe it does.

Although not related, maybe coincidentally, I've got dinner in the crock pot. Because it's fall, and school is back in and we are home and because they are watching Star Trek and I'm in the kitchen. This all makes sense, I promise.

These Crockpot Vegetarian Tacos can help get you through the busiest of weeks. Any crock pot recipe for taco filling, actually. I have several versions and during the winter months I make them on a regular basis - they are easy to put together and are fairly forgiving about being left unattended for a long while. The hardest part about this particular recipe is peeling and chopping the sweet potato.

This recipe makes two meals for us --- straight up tacos with all the fixing one night and later in the week we used the leftovers for our super nachos / taco salad meal - which is essentially an assemble yourself Nacho Bell Grande with some mandatory greens. Either way, the nice thing about this meal is that everyone can build their own dinner with the stuff they like. No arguments.

Or check out this idea for Cheesy Taco Casserole from Oh My Veggies.  Perfect use of any leftovers you have from this meal, It's one of those whip together and throw in oven meals.  I love those!  Make, bake and if you clean up the kitchen while you wait there is no after dinner mess.:)

A few notes:

• Chop the sweet potato fairly small - about the same size as the black beans - you want to make sure they cook through.
• I add garlic at the end. I don't like the way garlic tastes when it sits in the slow cooker all day. I find that adding it towards the end of cooking, and giving it just 15-20 minutes in the crock pot is enough to give a nice garlic flavour without that bitterness that comes from an all day simmer. (Coincidentally, I find onions do the same thing most of the time too. So I avoid onions in these recipes.)
• I have a 4-quart or 4-liter crockpot. It is one of the smaller models. You can easily increase the ingredients to fill a bigger slow-cooker.

The game plan here is to tend to our crock pot as soon as you get home, or about 20 minutes before you want to eat.  Crank the heat to high, mash-up some of the beans, add the remaining ingredients and then let it cook for another 20-30 minutes while you do a few other things - like get you toppings ready, set the table, fold some laundry, whatever...  Then eat!

4.63 from 8 votes

Crockpot Vegetarian Tacos

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time8 hrs

Servings: 6 -8 servings

Ingredients

• 1-½ cups sweet potato small dice
• 2 cups cooked black beans 19oz can, no salt added
• 540 ml can chili style diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoons taco seasonings like Old El Paso
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• juice of half a lime about 1 tablespoon
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 tablespoon molasses

Instructions

• Add beans, sweet potato, diced tomatoes, spices and juice of half of the lime. Cook on low for 6-8 hours or until sweet potato is tender and soft.
• About 20-30 minute before serving, turn heat up to high and lightly mash some of the beans and sweet potato. Just enough to smash a few of the beans and thicken the filling. Stir in garlic, the remaining lime juice and the molasses. Let cook for another 20 minutes or so while you set the table or fold some laundry. Serve with soft flour tortillas, lettuce, tomatoes, diced red onions, and your favourite taco toppings.

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