Not much to say about this meal other than the fact that I loved it! The cheese sauce and black-eye peas went perfectly with the potatoes. I love meals where you can mix everything together into one perfect bite. This is definitely a well rounded Vegan meal, it has a little bit of everything . . . and you can always mix up what you stuff your sweet potatoes with!

The orange  color in a sweet potato is a sign of their high content of betacarotene, an antioxidant that converts to vitamin A in your body. They are also high in fiber and vitamin C ❤

Ingredients – Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

For the Baked Potatoes

-5 medium sweet potatoes

-1 Tablespoon olive oil

-Salt to taste

For the Stuffing

-1 Tablespoon coconut oil

-1 Cup broccoli florets, finely chopped

-1/3 Cup walnuts, finely chopped

-1 Cup corn, frozen

-1/2 teaspoon cumin

-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

-1/2 teaspoon onion powder

-Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

-Preheat oven to 400 °F. Arrange the potatoes in a large glass baking dish. Prick each potato a few times with the tip of a knife. Rub with olive oil & salt to taste. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife

-When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, carefully cut off a slice from the top of each to expose the flesh of the potato. With a small spoon, carefully scoop the potato flesh into a mixing bowl, taking care to leave behind a 1/3″ – 1/2″ thick potato “shell”

-Mash the coconut oil into the potato flesh. Stir in the broccoli, walnuts, corn, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, & salt & pepper. Spoon the filling back into each potato shell, mounding it up as needed

-Cover the stuffed potatoes in the dish loosely with a piece of parchment paper. Return to the oven for 10 – 15 minutes to heat through

Ingredients – Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce

-1 Tablespoon coconut oil

-1 Tablespoon flour

-1 Cup almond milk

-1/2 Cup nutritional yeast

-1 teaspoon dijon mustard

-1/2 teaspoon tumeric

-1/4 teaspoon paprika

-Salt & pepper to taste

Directions

-Melt the coconut oil in a small saucepan over medium heat, then add the flour & mix to form a paste

-Add the milk & stir well to remove any lumps. Keep stirring every few minutes until the sauce thickens & bubbles

-Add the nutritional yeast, dijon mustard, & spices, & beat with a whisk until smooth, adding more milk if the sauce is too thick

Ingredients – Slow Cooker Black – Eye Peas

-6 Cups black-eye peas (soaked overnight)

-12 Cups water

-2 onions, diced

-3 cloves garlic, minced

-Salt & pepper

Directions

-Prepare the black-eye peas by soaking them in water overnight in a large pot or extra large bowl with enough water to cover them, plus 2 – 3 inches. Rinse them well with water before adding to the slow cooker

-Put the soaked black-eye peas & 12 Cups water in the slow cooker & set the timer on high/6 hours

-After about 1 hour, use a large spoon to remove the white, bubbly foam that rises to the  top

-Add the diced onion, garlic, salt & pepper, & any other seasonings you’d like (this is just a basic recipe, feel free to spice it up however you’d like)

-Stir well & continue cooking for the remaining 5 hours, stirring periodically

-Check the peas after the first 6 hours to see if they are the texture you like & the gravy is the consistency you’re looking for. If not, set the timer on high/6 hours, checking each hour until they are how you like them, add additional water if needed

-Addition ideas : diced jalapeños, diced shallots, diced carrots, hot sauce to taste

XOXO

In case you have left over potatoes, here is a tip on how to freeze them: Prepare the potatoes up through the point of stuffing (cool completely if they are warm), place them in a freezer safe container in a single layer & cover tightly. Freeze for up to 2 weeks. To reheat, thaw the baking dish for 18 – 24 hours in the refrigerator. Bake, loosely covered with parchment paper, at 400 °F for 25 – 30 minutes, or until hot