Chunky Sweet Potato & Plantain Hash

One pan meals are my go-to during busy workweeks (and school weeks) and especially so when they can be whipped up in my favorite cast iron skillet. All you need is a screaming hot skillet or roasting pan and something to do while the food roasts in the oven. Low maintenance, delicious, and flavorful!

This recipe is pretty straightforward, so let's get to it!

Chunky Sweet Potato and Plantain Hash

Time: at least 30-45 minutes

Serves: 4

Vegetable oil or coconut oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 small yellowish plantains, peeled, halved, and cubed

1 small bag steamable sweet potatoes, steamed, halved, and cubed

2 tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp granulated garlic

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Preheat your oven to 425ºF and place the cast iron skillet or roasting pan in the oven while it preheats. You're going to want the pan to be very hot prior to roasting the veggies. This helps them get a nice char. And remember, if you don't have a cast iron skillet, you can easily do this with a roasting dish or a full sheet pan.

In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients and combine to make sure the sweet potatoes, plantains, and onions are all evenly seasoned. You can easily use green plantains here, but I like the savory and sweet contrast of using sweet potatoes, slightly sweet plantains (I used ones that were almost yellow because that's what I had on hand) and the blend of smoky, savory seasonings.

Once the oven is preheated, carefully remove the skillet or pan. Evenly spread out the vegetables into the skillet and place back into the oven. They should be sizzling when you do this and make sure to work quickly so the pan doesn't cool off too much.

Roast for 30 minutes, remove the skillet from the oven and stir well. Continue roasting for another 15-20 minutes or until the edges of the vegetables are charred and crisp to your liking. If you aren't using the steamed sweet potatoes, just make sure that they're cooked through by piercing them with a knife or fork.

Right before serving, drizzle the honey-lime cilantro vinaigrette over the dish. You can easily eat this solo or pair with a protein. If you want to keep this dish vegan, simply omit the honey in the vinaigrette and substitute it with agave nectar instead. Still delicious either way!

Honey-Lime Cilantro Vinaigrette

2 limes, juiced

2 garlic cloves, mashed into a paste

2 tbsp honey

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

Black pepper

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients except the olive oil. With a whisk, continue whisking fast while drizzling enough olive oil in until you get a slightly creamy consistency. Season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the cilantro and serve over the sweet potato and plantain hash. You could also serve this dressing over nice greens, tomatoes, or avocados.

¡Buen provecho!