These baked potato cakes combine nutritious sweet potatoes and black beans with flavorful Mexican spices. They can be eaten alone with a few of your favorite garnishes, or top them with a poached egg for a filling breakfast. The patties can also be used as veggie burgers or as filling for tacos and burritos when broken up.

Yield: 6 potato cakes

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Baking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 medium sweet potatoes
• 1 (15 oz.) can no-salt-added black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp oregano
• 1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 tsp hot sauce (optional)

Garnish options: Greek yogurt, sour cream, cilantro, green onions, chives, salsa

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Cook the potatoes in the microwave per your microwave’s instructions, about 5 to 7 minutes on high.
3. Place the black beans in a medium bowl. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh and place it in the bowl. Mash the beans and potatoes until about half of the beans are mashed and half are still whole.
4. Add the garlic, green onions, cilantro, cumin, chili powder, salt, oregano and cinnamon. Stir to combine all ingredients. Stir in the lime juice, lime zest, and hot sauce (if using).
5. Form the mix into six patties. Place the patties on a baking sheet lightly coated with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes. Carefully flip the patties and bake for 10 minutes more. Serve warm.

Lori Rice, M.S., is a nutritional scientist and author with a passion for healthy cooking, exercise physiology, and food photography.