Description

BBQ chicken stuffed sweet potatoes are a hearty, nutritious meal to make during the fall and winter. A balance of savory and sweet.

Ingredients

Scale

4 medium sweet potatoes (organic is best, when possible)

BBQ chicken filling

1/3 cup BBQ sauce (I like choosing a sweet and spicy one)
Optional: 1 tablespoon maple syrup (If your BBQ sauce is super tangy the maple syrup could help to balance the tang out a little.)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/4 cup red onion, chopped
2 to 3 celery stalks, chopped
1 cup previously cooked and cooled chicken, chopped (I like to use a rotisserie chicken, or leftover instant pot whole chicken)
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided

Optional toppings

Extra BBQ sauce
Extra chopped red onions
Green onions, chopped

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Instructions

Prepare: Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Scrub and wash your sweet potatoes and dry well. Poke a few holes in each sweet potato to allow the steam to escape. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
Bake: (see notes for a short cut to bake the potatoes that will only take 10 to 20 mins!!) Bake the sweet potatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a knife can easily be inserted into the sweet potatoes. The cooking time may vary depending on how large your sweet potatoes are. Remove them from the oven and allow them to cool enough to handle. Reduce the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (do not turn off).
Prepare the filling: While the sweet potatoes are baking prepare the filling. To a medium sized mixing bowl add the BBQ sauce, salt, Greek yogurt, red onion, celery, cooked and chopped chicken, and 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese – mix until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings or the level of sweetness as needed.
Stuff the sweet potatoes: Once the baked sweet potatoes have cooled enough to handle use a sharp knife to cut a slit lengthwise, being careful not to cut all the way to the bottom. Then use your hands to gently push both ends of the sweet potato inwards to create room for the filling. Use a spoon to scrape out some of the sweet potato flesh to make room for the filling. You can reserve the sweet potato flesh for another use. Use a spoon to stuff the sweet potatoes with the BBQ chicken filling, until all of the filling has been used.
Heat the sweet potatoes: Place the sweet potatoes back in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly. Remove the sweet potatoes and sprinkle on the remaining 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar cheese, place back in the oven for 5 more minutes, just until the cheese has melted. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool a little before serving.
Serve: Serve the sweet potatoes with extra BBQ sauce for dipping and drizzling, and extra chopped red onion, and/or chopped green onion for garnish.

Notes

Microwave method: If you want to use a 10 to 20 minute shortcut you can cook the sweet potatoes in the microwave. Instead of cooking them in the oven, place them on a microwave safe plate, poke a lot of holes in them, and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Flip the sweet potatoes and microwave on high for another 5 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Depending on how large your sweet potatoes are you may have to heat them up in batches, I did 2 at a time. From there you will follow the remaining instructions as normal and heat the potatoes stuffed with the chicken filling in the oven. Although, I found this method to be a HUGE time saver, I do recommend the oven method if you have the time, better flavor that way.

Leftovers: Leftovers reheat really nicely. Depending on how large your sweet potato is you may find that you will get 2 to 3 servings from one sweet potato.