This is a fun, nutrient-dense dinner that I wish I had thought to make before. It looks like you are eating pub-food, but in reality, it is a hearty dinner. Like any “stuffed” recipe, this can be tailored to your taste or dietary restrictions. I made it with chicken because you always need to come up with creative ways of cooking chicken breast; you can most certainly make it with ground beef or add no animal protein at all. This particular version has Mexican flavors. Personally, I think the spiciness to chilies pair really well with the sweetness of the potatoes. It is also an easy recipe as it uses ingredients that probably already have in your pantry/fridge. Here is what you will need:
Ingredients:
2, medium-sized sweet potatoes, thoroughly scrubbed and cleaned
4, thin chicken breast slices or 1 big chicken breast.
1 bunch of scallions, about 8 stalks– chopped. Use half for cooking and half for garnish
3 Tbsp of black beans from a 15oz can
3 Tbsp of sweet corn from a 15oz can
1 medium-sized jalapeno, dice half of the pepper for cooking and slice the remaining half for garnish
1 tsp of cumin
1 tsp of garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt, plus more for sprinkling
1/2 tsp chipotle chili powder
1/4 cup of store-bought salsa (spice level of your choice, I used “hot”)
1/4 cup water
1Tbsp of olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Cheese and avocado slices for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 400F
Scrub and wash the sweet potatoes and cut them in half, lengthwise.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with some salt and bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
During the last 9 minutes of baking, add in the chicken breasts. The goal is to get them par-cooked so as to shred the meat. You might have to adjust the cook-time depending on the size and thickness of your chicken breast.
Let the chicken and the sweet potatoes cool for about 5 minutes or until you are comfortable handling them. Using a spoon, scoop out the flesh from the sweet potatoes, leaving a little bit left on the skin.
Using a fork, shred the chicken. You will end up with approximately, 3/4 to 1 cup of shredded chicken.
Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a skillet and add scallions, jalapenos, and all the spices. Stir everything around in the pan to incorporate and then add the chicken and the sweet potato. Continue stirring till everything is completely covered in the spice mixture.
Add the corn, beans, salsa, and water, and continue to cook on medium-high heat for 5-7 minutes.
During these five minutes, stick the potato skins back in the 400F oven to crisp up slightly. If you want the skin to be more crisp, consider increasing the baking temperature and roasting for a little bit longer.
Fill the potato skins with the chicken mixture, I still had some of the mixture leftover.
After filling the skin, top with as much cheese as you like and serve piping hot with a garnish of scallions, sliced jalapenos, and sliced avocadoes.
