chipotle honey sweet potato quinoa tacos with caramelized onion beer queso
Remember this queso? Yep, it appears again, your neighborhood lactose-laden magician.
Took me a good long while to enjoy quinoa. For one, the sheer effort of pronunciation annoyed me enough to think such a fancy word meant the product probably tasted too queenly for my tastebuds. Once I got past the aesthetic irritation, I had a really hard time cooking it properly. Oft I’d end with a marble-esque bead just as toothshattering as the raw grain. Eventually, I learned the virtue of P A T I E N C E, of which I as a Capricorn and a Karbach don’t have much.
Glad I got over that hinderance, because quinoa mixed with soft, sweet, and chipotle spiced sweet potato cubes is glorious. With queso on top? Perfection. I used white cheddar so to not overwhelm the tortilla with alarming combinations of orange shades, and I believe this taco isn’t complete without a good dash of lime juice and fresh cilantro.
Giving this a go? As always, I love to read your comments about the recipes and am always floating around Instagram ready for a chat!
Need more quinoa ideas?
Winter Quinoa Salad with Honey Baked Figs and Sweet Apple Tahini Vinaigrette
Apple Cider Glazed Baked Salmon with Butternut Squash Quinoa Pilaf
Ingredients
chipotle honey sweet potato quinoa tacos
- 10-12 ounces sweet potato, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup tricolor quinoa (dry)
- 1 cup broth or water
- 4 corn or wheat tortillas
- limes and cilantro, to serve
caramelized onion beer queso
- 1 yellow onion, halved and sliced fajita-style
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 3/4 cup fatty milk (oat, whole, even half and half or heavy cream work)
- 6 ounces cream cheese, cut into cubes
- 8 ounces beer of choice
- 12 ounces white cheddar, shredded
- 2 tbsp flour
- kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
caramelized onion beer cheese queso
- Start with the queso since caramelizing onions is a labor of pure love. Heat butter over medium in a saucepan, until melted. Add onions, salt and pepper and stir until thoroughly coated. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least 20 minutes but preferably 45 or more, until onions brown and take on a jammy consistency. Whisk in garlic powder for one minute until fragrant, then raise heat to medium and toss in cream cheese. Stream milk slowly, whisking constantly, until cream cheese incorporates. Whisk in beer. Toss cheese in flour (this helps melting) and add in three batches, whisking until each batch before it melts. Turn heat back to low and heat for 5-10 more minutes, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat and cover until ready to serve. Queso will thicken as it cools down.
chipotle honey sweet potato quinoa tacos
- In a bowl, toss cubed sweet potatoes with chipotle chiles and sauce, honey, garlic, salt and pepper until thoroughly combined. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium in a skillet. Add sweet potatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to soften, about 8 minutes. Add quinoa and toast, tossing once or twice, for 3-5 minutes until a slightly nutty smell emits from the skillet. Pour in broth or water and bring to a simmer, then lower heat and simmer gently, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes until quinoa absorbs most of the water and is soft. If the liquid boils down too quickly, add 1/4 cup at a time. Season with salt and pepper to taste, if needed.
- When beer queso is finished (see below for directions!) assemble the tacos! Divide sweet potato filling amongst four tortillas, then top with a generous spoonful of queso, cilantro, and lime juice, as desired.
