Recipe Review: Cheesy Beef and Sweet Potato Flautas

Why This Recipe Caught My Eye

I am always looking for an opportunity to incorporate ground beef into dinner in a new and exciting way. My boys are big on protein, and ground beef is easy and quick. We have tacos, and this recipe from Food & Wine on constant rotation, but I like to mix it up once in a while. So when I came across Caroline Chambers’ recipe for Cheesy Beef and Sweet Potato Flautas in What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking, I was in. Especially since the recipe incorporates grated sweet potato, which is sneakily more filling than ground beef alone.

My Experience Making It

True to the book’s name, this was an easy recipe to whip up when I didn’t necessarily feel inspired to spend a lot of time cooking. This flautas recipe falls in the “30 minutes” section of the book, and I’d say it was pretty much right on point.

As the ground beef browned, I washed, peeled, and grated the potato. After draining some of the fat from the browned ground beef, I added in the seasonings (there’s quite a few, but if you make taco mix from scratch, it’s the usual suspects). Then I plopped the sweet potato in and stirred until the grated flakes of potato pretty much disappeared (like I said before, such a great way to sneak veg into a meal when they least suspect it!).

I laid all of the tortillas out on the countertop (I didn’t even bother warming them as directed) and divided the filling amongst the tortillas, assembly-line style. I used pre-shredded cheese to cut down on effort. Then I rolled and snuggled the flautas all on the sheet pan to pop in the oven.

While the tortillas browned, I made the sauce, cut some lettuce and avocado, and within a half hour, the entire meal was done.

What Makes the Recipe Special

I’d say the best part of this recipe is how the tortillas crisp up in the oven. Because they are crispy, they can be eaten in a dignified way with fork and knife and covered with lots of toppings. Orrrrr you can pick them up by hand, dip them in sauce and munch away!

Of course, I’d also say the sweet potato is also special because it really does fill the boys up. The recipe makes 10-12 tortillas, and between the three of them they can finish most but feel truly satisfied when the meal is done. When I make tacos, we need sides of rice followed quickly by ice cream to make sure everyone has had their fill.

If you’re making this for a smaller family (or for non-teenage boys) I’d assume there will be enough in this recipe to bring some for lunch the next day or to have as a second or even third meal.

The Cookbook Behind the Recipe

What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking has become an instant favorite of mine. I love that it is set up in sections based on how quickly the recipes can be completed. Plus, Caroline gives so many options for variations in case you don’t have the exact ingredients on hand — or just want to switch things up for a change. For this recipe she suggests whatever meat or veg or cheese you have on hand, and even swapping russets for sweet potato.

After making this recipe quite a few times already for my family, I’ve realized the question of “what’s for dinner” is always met with a “yesssssss!” when the answer is “flautas”.  I’m curious to try this recipe with pulled pork (think carnitas) and maybe even adding in some refried beans for extra protein and bulk!

Do you own this cookbook? Tell me what recipes you’ve tried so far! I’ve made quite a few and am excited to try more!