Cheesy Mexican Ground Beef and Potatoes (30 Minutes!)
Introducing the Mexican Ground Beef and Potato Skillet – a quick weeknight dinner that's ready in just 30 minutes! It features taco-seasoned ground beef, sweet potatoes, onions, and tomatoes to bring you all the delicious Mexican flavors
Ingredients
- 1 pound extra lean ground beef
- 2 teaspoon garlic cloves, minced, about 2 garlic cloves
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- olive oil for cooking
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potato, about 2 cups diced
- 14 oz canned diced tomatoes, no need to drain
- 1 cup corn, fresh or frozen, no need to thaw
- ½ cup grated cheddar cheese
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 large lime, for serving
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet with olive oil. Toss in the minced garlic and chopped onion, cooking until the onion becomes translucent, which usually takes about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the ground beef, along with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Stir well and cook until the ground beef is completely browned.
- Transfer the cooked ground beef onto a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess grease from the frying pan.
- In the same frying pan, add the chopped sweet potato, diced tomato, and corn. Season with, salt, and pepper.
- Place a lid on the pan and cook for approximately 15 minutes or until the sweet potato becomes tender when pierced with a fork. Be sure to stir occasionally.
- Once the sweet potato reaches the desired tenderness, reintroduce the taco meat to the frying pan and thoroughly combine all the ingredients.
- Sprinkle the shredded cheddar cheese on the top and cover with the lid until cheese is melted.
- Serve with salsa, fresh cilantro or green onions and savor the dish! For a balanced flavor, add a touch of fresh lime drizzle.
Notes
- This recipe makes about 4 larger and 6 smaller servings.
- Leftover ideas
- I enjoy transforming leftover Mexican ground beef into a hash by crisping up the ingredients in a skillet and topping them with a fried egg.
- For a portable meal, consider wrapping the leftovers in a whole wheat tortilla. Be sure to heat the filling beforehand. (Adding some cheese to the wrap would be a tasty addition.)
- This tex-mex ground beef makes an excellent taco filling, for this, I’d dice the sweet potatoes even smaller and add a dollop of salsa and sour cream for serving.
- Ground beef - I prefer using fairly lean ground beef to keep the meat mixture from having too much excess grease.
- Yellow onion - Opt for yellow onions or sweet onions for the best flavor.
Fresh garlic cloves - If needed, you can substitute ½ teaspoon of garlic powder. - Diced tomatoes - Or you can use crushed tomatoes here, with the liquid and no need to drain. If you don't have this, you can sub with good quality rich tomato sauce (a sauce that goes on pizza and in pasta but not ketchup).
- Cheese - Don't hesitate to experiment with different cheese varieties. We love cheeses that melt beautifully, such as Cheddar, Monterey Jack, Gouda, and Colby Jack or Mozzarella.
- To Store. Store the leftover dinner in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Freezing. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months, but I recommend adding the cheese only when reheating.
- To Reheat. To reheat, you can return the beef skillet to a pan over medium-high heat, stirring until it's heated through. Alternatively, you can microwave it on high to heat it up.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!