Ingredients
Sweet Potatoes
- 3 medium sweet potatoes
Chicken Filling
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 can (14 ounce) chickpeas, drained (optional)
- 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2-3 chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped (more or less, to your taste)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Zest of 1 lime
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 cups baby spinach, roughly chopped
Toppings
- 1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Preheat and Bake Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Prick the sweet potatoes all over with a fork to allow steam to escape while baking. Place them directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 50-60 minutes. Remove and let cool enough to handle.
- Prepare and Bake Chicken Mixture: While the sweet potatoes bake, place the chicken breasts and drained chickpeas (if using) in a baking dish. Add the olive oil, minced garlic, chopped chipotle chilies, chili powder, onion powder, dried oregano, cumin, lime zest, and season with kosher salt and black pepper. Toss gently to coat everything evenly. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Add Spinach to Chicken: During the last 5 minutes of cooking, scatter the chopped baby spinach over the chicken mixture. Continue baking until the spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven.
- Shred Chicken: Using two forks, shred the cooked chicken finely. Mix the shredded chicken well with the chickpeas, wilted spinach, and any remaining oil and seasoning in the baking dish.
- Prepare Sweet Potato Skins: Carefully scrape out the sweet potato flesh from each potato, leaving about a 1/2 inch thick layer inside the peel to maintain structure. Brush the inside of the skins with a small amount of olive oil.
- Crisp Potato Skins: Place the sweet potato skins on a baking sheet and bake them for 5 minutes to crisp the edges. Remove from the oven.
- Stuff and Top Sweet Potato Skins: Fill each sweet potato skin with the shredded chipotle chicken mixture. Sprinkle shredded white cheddar cheese generously over the top of each filled skin.
- Melt Cheese: Return the stuffed potato skins to the oven and bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove from the oven and garnish with freshly chopped cilantro. Optionally, serve with Greek yogurt on the side for added creaminess and tang.
Notes
- For a milder flavor, reduce the amount of chipotle chilies or remove the seeds before chopping.
- To keep this dish lower in fat, use reduced-fat shredded cheese or omit cheese altogether.
- Chicken can be substituted with turkey or a plant-based alternative for different dietary preferences.
- Leftover sweet potato flesh can be saved and used in soups, mashed as a side dish, or added to salads.
- Ensure sweet potatoes are thoroughly cooked and tender before proceeding to stuffing for best results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican-inspired
- Diet: Low Fat
