I’ve seen Chile Colorado beef burritos all over Pinterest in the last few years. In case you haven’t come across them before, Chile Colorado basically refers to a meat “chili” that’s in a deep red, almost-enchilada sauce. We haven’t really done burritos or enchiladas since going dairy and gluten free. Something about them is just less spectacular when not covered in a melty layer of cheese. Le sigh.
But. Since we looove Tex-Mex, I thought it might be a nice change of pace to try smothering some baked potatoes in a Chile Colorado sauce. You know, for science. We used our trusty recipe for red enchilada sauce (simply skipping the flour and adding a bit more tomato sauce) and as the beef cooked in the sauce, it naturally reduced and thickened enough to make a perfect sauce for smothering.
Sweet potatoes are great here–the slight sweetness helps offset the spiciness of the enchilada sauce, and the added nutrients were a nice perk. We did, for good measure, try it on baked Russet potatoes as well. Great both ways!
I’ll go ahead and call this one a big win. It’s a great recipe for transitioning to cooler weather, but if it’s still warm where you live, you can also make it in a slow-cooker if which will spare you the heat of the oven. While certainly you can sprinkle on a little cheese if you like, we didn’t feel like these potatoes were missing a thing. They were a lot of delicious saucy goodness and feels-like-home comfort without much effort at all.
Chile Colorado Sweet Potatoes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
Description
You can top these any way you like–shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, etc. We kept things simple with a little green onion and cilantro, but top them to your heart’s desired!
Ingredients
For the Chile Colorado sauce:
- 1 (16oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 Tbsp olive or avocado oil
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt (more or less, to taste)
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1 (2-3lb) beef roast
For serving:
- Your favorite baked potatoes (sweet or white)
- sliced green onions, for garnish
- cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
To make the sauce:
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in spices and salt, and cook over medium heat until fragrant. Add in tomato sauce and 2 cups of water, and whisk to combine.
- If cooking in the oven: pour sauce into a large Dutch oven and add roast. Cook at 325 degrees for 3-4 hours or until tender. Shred roast into the sauce, removing any fat or gristle. Serve over potatoes and garnish with green onions or cilantro, as desired.
- If cooking in the slow cooker: Pour sauce into slow cooker and add roast. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high 3-4 hours, or until meat is tender and easily pulls apart. Shred roast into the sauce, removing any fat or gristle. Serve over potatoes and garnish with green onions or cilantro as desired.
This looks awesome! I love all things Mexican and a little pop of that sweet potato sounds just perfect. Yum!