Sorry, I know it is the beginning of a new year, and resolutions are abound. I’m the bad guy who is going to share a loaded casserole recipe that will make you want to cheat on your healthy eating!!
I pinned this recipe a long time ago and finally tried it a few weeks back. It makes a lot and is satisfying. We are on board if a recipe calls for bacon and buffalo sauce!
Buffalo Chicken & Potato Casserole2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
8-10 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch cubes (I leave the skin on)
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
1 TBS. paprika
2 TBS. garlic powder
6 TBS. hot sauce (I used Franks)
Topping:
2 c. Cheese (I used a Fiesta blend)
1 c. crumbled bacon (I used fully cooked)
1 c diced green onion
Preheat oven to 500 degress (hot, hot, hot). In a large bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder & hot sauce. Add the cubed potatoes and stir to coat. Scoop the potatoes into a cooking spray coated baking dish, leaving behind as much of the olive oil/hot sauce mix as possible. Bake the potatoes for 45-50 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and crispy & browned on the outside.
While the potatoes are cooking, add the cubed chicken to the bowl with the leftover olive oil/hot sauce mix and stir to coat. Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the oven temperature to 400F. Top the cooked potatoes with the raw marinated chicken. In a bowl mix together the cheese, bacon & green onion and top the raw chicken with the cheese mix. Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is bubbly delicious. Serve with extra hot sauce and/or ranch dressing.
I have found it is much easier to keep some fully cooked bacon on hand to use in recipes and/or salads calling for bacon crumbles. You can have this done in minutes (in the micro) and it tastes good mixed in with other things. I would continue with regular uncooked bacon if you are going to eat straight up with eggs, etc. For a quick shortcut, this is the way to go…
The original source for this recipe can be found at http://cooklisacook.blogspot.ca/2012/03/loaded-potato-buffalo-chicken-casserole.html.
I have zero willpower when it comes to food/drink, so the gym and I have a love/hate relationship! 🙂