Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
This recipe is one whose difficulty level can be scaled from 'medium' to 'easy' simply by buying a rotisserie chicken and shredding it, instead of cooking your own chicken (which will be just as delicious). I cooked my own chicken, and saved the broth from the chicken for soup that I made a couple days later. If you plan to cook your own chicken for this recipe, don't be shy about adding a bay leaf or two to the pot, along with some peppercorns and an onion perhaps, to amp up the flavor of both your chicken and the broth that will be leftover afterwards. It's a win-win.
Back to these punch-of-flavor sweet potatoes. Buffalo wing sauce, in itself, is extremely flavorful. But the tart, vinegary wing sauce with the addition of creamy melted butter, then the addition of tangy ranch and the cilantro..all in a pocket of soft, sweet potato .... sorry, where was I? Right, I'll be making these again. They were that good. Thank me later. Enjoy!
Buffalo Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Serves 6
Ingredients:
3 large sweet potatoes
2 lb chicken (I used thighs; breast or a mix of both also works)
1/2 tablespoon salt
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons butter
2/3 cup buffalo wing sauce, such as Frank's
Extra cilantro for topping
Ranch, for topping
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Stab the sweet potatoes all around with a fork 5-6 times, then place on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake for approximately 45 minutes to an hour, or until a knife can easily pierce the potato. Timing will depend on the size of your sweet potato.
2. Meanwhile, prepare chicken. Fill a large pot with water, add the chicken and the 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Bring to a boil, then continue simmering the chicken until it can be easily shredded. Remove the chicken from the water into a large bowl, and shred the chicken with two forks. (Save the chicken broth for soup or some other recipe; it's too good to waste!)
3. Add the buffalo wing sauce and the butter to a small saucepan, and heat through until butter has completely melted. Add this mixture to the bowl of shredded chicken, along with the chopped celery and chopped cilantro. Mix until everything is evenly coated with the buffalo wing sauce.
4. Cut the roasted sweet potato in half lengthwise and lightly fluff the inside with a spoon. Stuff each one with the chicken mixture. Drizzle each with ranch and top with the extra chopped cilantro, if desired. Enjoy!