• After washing, poke a few holes in the sweet potato with a knife or fork. Wrap in a slightly damp paper towel and microwave on high for about 6-8 minutes until soft and fluffy.
• While you wait, combine corn, jalapeño, black beans, and cream cheese and season with garlic powder, chili powder, cumin, and salsa.
• Once sweet potato is tender and cooked through, fluff the inside with a fork and transfer (minus skin) to the black bean mixture. Mix thoroughly.
• Season with salt, pepper, and any additional seasoning to taste.
• Next, working in small batches of 3-4 tortillas, wrap corn tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave on high for 30 seconds until warm and pliable. The goal here is to steam the tortillas so they roll easily without breaking or cracking.
• To each tortilla, add 2 TBSP of veggie filling about ⅓ of the way up from the bottom of the tortilla, shaping into a little log.
• Top it off with a layer of cheese (as much or as little as you want!) and tightly roll the tortilla while it's still warm. Place seam side down on a large plate or baking sheet. Secure each with a toothpick if needed.
• Repeat steps 5-7 for remaining tortillas and filling.
• In a high-sided frying pan, heat about ¼ inch of oil over medium-high heat. Use tongs to carefully place 4 taquitos in the oil, seam side down, and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side. If you have a larger pan you can cook more at once but it will require more oil. I typically use one of my smaller pans and work in batches.
• Remove from the pan and place on a stack of folded paper towels to drain. For even crispier results, place the paper towels atop a wire cooling rack.
• Enjoy hot with a variety of dips for dunking. See blog post for recipes if you need them. xoxo

OPTIONAL HOMEMADE QUESO

• Freshly grate cheese. (avoid using bagged shredded cheese) Warm your milk in the microwave for 30-40 seconds and set aside. Heat a small sauce pot and add your butter. Once melted, add flour and whisk into butter vigorously until they become bubbly and foamy. Continue to cook and whisk constantly for about a minute to cook off the flour taste.
• Add warm milk and whisk vigorously into flour mixture. Allow milk to come to a simmer, whisking occasionally as it thickens. Once it has thickened, turn off burner and remove pot from heat. Add cream cheese and whisk until melted. Next add grated cheese in 2-3 batches, stirring it in until the cheese is fully melted. I like to keep the pot off the heat here so the cheese doesn't overheat and get gritty. If you work quickly the milk should be hot enough to melt the cheese. Season with cayenne pepper and salt. Adjust spices to taste and you're good to go!