~Amanda~
It’s official…Conor and I are living together now! There are so many things to be excited about, but one of the best is the fact that I am obsessed with cooking and he is going to be eating home cooked meals for lunch and dinner every day now (his words, not mine). And I am thrilled because I actually get to cook for someone every night now, and have someone to try all my food and test out every new recipe I come up with on. Conor and I definitely have different eating preferences though; I generally don’t eat a lot of meat (just out of habit and preference, not because I have anything against it) and Conor likes meat in most of his meals. This is my challenge now; continue cooking my favorite meals that are light and healthy, but try and incorporate more meat into into them so that Conor is satisfied as well.
For one of our first meals as a couple in OUR house together, I decided to make these incredible Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes. By now you should know that sweet potatoes are one of my favorite foods. They are incredibly healthy and I buy several of them every week (plus Molly loves them too, she has sweet potato cubes for snack every day!) So I took one of my favorite ingredients, combined it with some chicken to get a protein in there for Conor, and spiced it up with some cumin and chili, roasted vegetables and spinach, and topped them with delicious shredded mozzarella! Stuffed sweet potatoes are so easy to make, and while I love this recipe, you can really make them with a variety of vegetables and seasonings that you already have at your house, so it’s a great meal to make when you don’t have anything planned.
The sauce you make for the chicken and veggie mixture is what really makes the dish and it adds so much great flavor. You start with an olive oil base, add lime juice for some acidity and brightness, cumin because I love cumin in pretty much everything, chili powder for some heat and warmth, and cayenne for spice. It’s the best combination of spices and it adds so many flavors to the dish. To actually make the stuffed sweet potatoes, you roast the potatoes, chicken, and veggies in the oven. Then shred the chicken and combine it with the veggies and sauce and stuff it in the sweet potato skins. Top with as much shredded mozzarella as you like and bake until it’s melted and bubbly. When it’s done cooking, top the potatoes with some cilantro and hot sauce (if you want a little more kick) and dig in to this delicious, flavorful, and healthy dinner.
- 3 medium sweet potatoes, washed
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup Brussels sprouts, quartered
- 1 red bell pepper, cubed
- 1/2 red onion, cubed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 lime, juiced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups frozen spinach, thawed and drained
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Using a fork, prick the sweet potatoes all around. Place on a baking sheet lined with foil and bake for one hour until fork tender. Once they are done baking, cut in half and allow to cool. Remove the flesh from the middle of each sweet potato half, leaving a medium size layer. Place back in a baking dish and bake for another 10 minutes.
- After you place the potatoes in the oven, place the brussels sprouts, red pepper, and red onion on a baking sheet. Combine with one tablespoon olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Bake for about 40 minutes, stirring halfway.
- In the meantime, rub chicken with one tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Place in the oven with the sweet potatoes and bake for about 30 minutes (or until cooked through). Allow to cool, then shred the chicken with a fork.
- In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lime juice, garlic, cumin, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper with a fork. Set aside.
- Turn up the oven to 400 degrees. In large bowl, combine the chicken, spinach, veggies, and sauce. Place in the sweet potato skins and top with mozzarella cheese. Bake for about 10 minutes until cheese is melted and bubbly.
- Serve with a sprinkle of cilantro and some hot sauce (I prefer Siracha). Enjoy!
