If comfort food is calling your name, I got the perfect recipe for you. This delicious shredded chicken and sweet potato casserole has the perfect flavor combination that will make you come back for more.
This recipe is so delicious and so easy to make!
For the shredded chicken, you can use any leftover that you have in your fridge, buy a rotisserie chicken, or cook it fresh. Whatever you decide, the casserole will be equally delicious, being the first 2 options only faster and easier.
As for the sweet potatoes, you can buy them fresh and cut into cubes or if you want to save some time, you can buy them pre-cut.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts: I used chicken breasts because they're lean, easy to find, and easy to shred, but if you'd like, you could use chicken thighs. They are delicious and super moist.
- Sweet Potatoes: Sweet potatoes are not just delicious but also super nutritious. The "Medical News Today" website has a great article about its nutritional value and health benefits. In case you don't have sweet potatoes, you can use the regular ones.
- Barbecue sauce: Store-bought or homemade can be used, so choose your favorite.
- Cheese: I like mozzarella in this recipe, but you could use another cheese of your choice. If you shred it yourself instead of buying pre-shredded, it'll melt better.
- Bacon: It's optional, but it gives the dish a special touch. If you are controlling your calories, you can omit it.
- Olive oil/honey/salt/pepper/cumin/ smoked paprika/garlic powder: These are my 'go-to' ingredients to dress up my sweet potatoes. If you don't have smoked paprika you can use the regular one, but I really recommend having it in your kitchen. The flavor is amazing!
Shredded Chicken
If you don't already have shredded chicken in your fridge, you can cook it yourself.
All you have to do is cooking 2 lbs (approx. 1 kg) of chicken breasts in a skillet or pressure cooker, making sure to season them well with your favorite spices.
I like doubling the amount of chicken, so I can have leftovers to use in other recipes.
Here's how you can make the shredded chicken breasts:
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs (1 kg) of chicken breasts;
- (1tsp) Seasoned salt, (½ tsp) onion powder, (½ tsp) smoked paprika, (½ tsp) cumin and (¼ tsp) garlic powder;
- ½ cup of water or low sodium chicken broth.
Place everything in the pressure cooker (I use an Instant Pot), and cook on high pressure for about 15 minutes. Let it naturally release the pressure for about 10 minutes, and then turn the valve to manually release the pressure that is left.
I love using my handheld mixer to shred the chicken! It's super easy and fast. It saves me a lot of time and effort.
How to make
Making this chicken and sweet potato casserole is very easy. Here are some pictures to help you visualize the steps.
Cut the sweet potatoes into small uniform cubes 
Drizzle olive oil, honey and season with spices 
Bake covered with foil until tender (about 18 min.). Remove foil and broil until golden brown 
Add barbecue sauce to shredded chicken 
Add fried bacon and mix until it's all combined (optional) 
Spoon chicken mixture over potatoes and top with cheese. Heat it in the oven until cheese is melted
Tips
- Make sure to cut the sweet potatoes into small uniform cubes, so they can cook faster and at the same rate.
- Add more barbecue sauce if you'd like it more creamy or with a more intense flavor.
- You can keep leftovers for about 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
- You can freeze this casserole and keep it for up to 3 months.
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Chicken and Sweet Potato Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 lbs shredded chicken ~900g
- 1 cup barbecue sauce (or a little more if you'd like)
- 16 oz yams cut into cubes ~500g
- 1 tablespoon extra virgem olive oil
- ½ tablespoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 cup shredded cheese (mozzarella is a good option)
- 6 oz bacon (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF (220ºC)
- Cut the sweet potatoes into small cubes and trasnfer them to a 11"x7" (30x20cm) baking dish.
- Add olive oil, honey, salt, and spices to the sweet potatoes and toss to coat them evenly. Bake them covered with aluminum foil until tender (about 18 minutes). Remove foil and broil until golden brown (about 5 more minutes).
- While the potatoes are cooking, add the barbecue sauce to the shredded chicken and mix everything until evenly coated. If using bacon, you can fry it on a skillet now and add it to the chicken.
- Once Potatoes are ready, evenly distribute the shredded chicken mixture over the potatoes, sprinkle the cheese on top and bake it at 350ºF (180ºC) for about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
Notes
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