Kentuckians Love Chicken, But Have You Ever Tried It Stuffed Into a Sweet Potato?

If you're a fan of sweet potatoes like I am, you're going to love this What's Cookin'? recipe from Catherine Dowdy, from the Daviess County Cooperative Extension Office. Honestly, I have eaten sweet potatoes in a variety of ways, but this recipe offers up a unique twist.

Here in Kentucky, we're known for our fried chicken. But this recipe features slow-cooked 'buffalo' chicken that you serve on top of a sweet potato. It's the featured recipe of November in the 2023 Food + Nutrition Recipe Calendar from the University of Kentucky Cooperative Extension Service.

SLOW COOKER BUFFALO CHICKEN STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

6 small sweet potatoes

1 bunch green onions, chopped (optional, for topping)

Low-fat Greek yogurt, low-fat sour cream, or low-fat dressing (optional, for topping)

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon vinegar

2 tablespoons water

1/2 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse sweet potatoes under cool running water and set aside.
2. Add raw chicken to a slow cooker.
3. In a small bowl combine all buffalo sauce ingredients, reserving cornstarch. Pour sauce over the chicken.
4. Cover slow cooker with lid and cook on high heat for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.
5. About 45 minutes before the chicken is done, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
6. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes.
7. When chicken is fully cooked, remove it from the slow cooker and shred it.
8. Before returning the shredded chicken to the slow cooker, mix cornstarch and water together and add to the slow cooker. Whisk until thickened. Return chicken to the slow cooker and combine with the sauce.
9. When sweet potatoes are done cooking, split each one open and top with a portion of shredded buffalo chicken.
10. Drizzle optional topping over the finished sweet potatoes and chicken, and top with green onions, if desired.

Of course, the greatest thing of all about recipes developed by the UK Cooperative Extension is that they're designed to feed a lot of people for a relatively low cost. The estimated cost of this recipe is an estimated $8.82. It makes six servings. Each serving is one potato with chicken. The cost per serving is just $1.47.