You can't beat the convenience of pre-made packaged foods because they're so, well...convenient. But they're usually full of stuff that's not all that good for you--certainly not stuff you want you or your family to be eating on a regular basis.  Well, I am here to tell you that with a little bit of advance planning you can make your own delicious and truly healthy hold-in-one-hand conveniently pouched food that you can grab whenever the munchies strike. My family is seriously addicted to these portable goodies!!

These are so easy to make and so versatile too. This version combines, sweet potato, black beans, red onion and red pepper, but you could really sub in any vegetable that roasts well, like broccoli, cauliflower, tomato etc. You could even throw in some cooked chicken, shrimp or beef for added protein. Lately I've been making a batch of these on the weekends so we can have them for a quick lunch or snack or even a dinner-on-the-run during the busy week. 

First off, you roast your veggies with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and chili powder and any other spices you like. When those are done, you toss them together with the beans and some lime juice.

Next you place a spoonful of the mixture onto the tortilla, sprinkle it with a bit of cheese and roll it up, making a nice little tray of them.

Once you've done all the rolling (and no worries if they don't look perfect--as you can see a few of mine ripped a bit), you pop them into the oven for about 10-12 minutes until the outsides are golden brown and the cheese has melted. So much flavor in one little easy-to-eat pocket!

Healthy Homemade Hot Pockets-Vegetarian Style

Makes about 13-15 pockets

Prep Time: 30 minutes (including roasting the veggies) Bake Time: 12-15 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced

• 2 red peppers, seeded and diced

• 1 large red onion, diced

• 4 teaspoons olive oil

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (use more if you like it spicier)

• 2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

• The juice from 2 limes (about 4 teaspoons)

• 2-3 cups shredded cheese (I used a blend of Cheddar and Monterey Jack)

• 13-15 flour tortillas (I use the 10" size-you can use any kind, white, wheat etc.)

• Sour cream, salsa, guacamole for dipping (optional)

The Recipe

1.  Preheat oven to 425ºF. Toss the sweet potatoes, the pepper and the onion together in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper and chili powder. Place the vegetables in an even layer on two large rimmed baking sheets and roast for about 20 minutes, stirring at least once during the process. You want the veggies to be tender but not mushy at the end with a bit of browning going on.

2.  Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and let cool for a bit. Add the beans and the lime juice and toss. Season with more salt and pepper if necessary. At this point you can either make the tortillas or refrigerate the mixture to use later. If making the hot pockets now, turn oven temp down to 375ºF.

3.  Place a small amount, about 1/4 cup of the veggie mixture in the middle of a tortilla. Top with a sprinkle of the cheese and fold up, tucking the ends in. Transfer to a baking sheet, seam side down and repeat the process until all the tortillas have been used up. You will likely have leftover veggie mix, it's great to eat as is leftover. Just store in the fridge. Or make the tortillas a few at a time as needed. The veggie mixture will keep for several days in the fridge.

4.  Heat the tray of hot pockets for about 12-15 minutes until tops are light golden brown,  cheese is melted and veggies are hot (you may need to do this longer if the mixture has been refrigerated). Serve immediately with sour cream, salsa or guacamole on the side if you like.

5. These reheat really well--just toss a couple onto a baking sheet and into a 350ºF oven for 7-8 minutes or into the microwave.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from http://www.melskitchencafe.com/black-bean-and-sweet-potato-burritos/.  I changed a lot here--doubled the veggie amounts, cut the jalapeno, cumin and cilantro and used smaller sized tortillas.