Description
Slow roasted sweet potatoes served with spicy garlic chickpeas and topped with a rich, creamy blue cheese sauce make for a deliciously hearty and flavorful dish. The sweet, caramelized potatoes provide a perfect base for the bold, smoky chickpeas and tangy blue cheese, creating a satisfying vegetarian meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sweet Potatoes
- 4 sweet potatoes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Chickpeas
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for topping
Blue Cheese Sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 cup milk (2% or whole)
- 1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese, plus extra for topping
Instructions
- Preheat and prepare sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a baking sheet with foil or parchment paper. Scrub the sweet potatoes clean and dry them thoroughly. Rub them all over with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Place them on the baking sheet.
- Slow roast the sweet potatoes: Bake the sweet potatoes for 2 to 2 1/2 hours until their bottoms are caramelized and the flesh inside is very soft. Remove from oven and allow to cool slightly.
- Prepare the spicy garlic chickpeas: In a medium bowl, combine the drained chickpeas with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, and finely grated garlic. In a separate smaller bowl, mix smoked paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Add this spice mixture to the chickpeas and stir well to evenly coat. Fold in the chopped cilantro. If desired, warm the chickpeas gently over low heat on the stove until heated through.
- Make the blue cheese sauce: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until sizzling. Whisk in the flour to form a roux and cook, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and smells nutty. Slowly pour in the milk while whisking continuously to prevent lumps. Continue to cook and stir for a few minutes until the sauce thickens. Reduce heat to low and stir in the crumbled blue cheese until mostly melted, leaving a few pieces visible for texture and flavor.
- Assemble the dish: While the sweet potatoes are still warm, slice them open gently. Drizzle the interiors with blue cheese sauce, then spoon the spicy chickpeas on top. Add additional blue cheese sauce, sprinkle extra blue cheese crumbles, and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro before serving.
Notes
- Slow roasting at a low temperature allows the sweet potatoes to caramelize on the outside while becoming tender and creamy inside.
- The spicy chickpeas can be served warm or at room temperature depending on preference.
- You can adjust the level of heat in the chickpeas by modifying the amount of cayenne pepper and chili powder.
- Use whole milk for a richer blue cheese sauce or 2% milk for a lighter version.
- Leftover blue cheese sauce can be stored in the refrigerator and gently reheated before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 stuffed sweet potato with chickpeas and sauce
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 12 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 8 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 9 g
- Protein: 14 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg
