You bought the chicken already cooked and that was smart
Prick four small sweet potatoes and microwave them, checking at seven minutes because size changes everything. Warm three cups of pulled rotisserie chicken with two-thirds of a cup of barbecue sauce while they go.
Split them, add butter, pile the chicken on, and finish with cheddar. Sweet potato is sweeter and lighter than a loaded russet, which suits a kid who has a 6:15 session with running in it.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 4. Plan on about 20 minutes.
- 4 small sweet potatoes
- 3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
- 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
How to Make It
- Scrub the sweet potatoes, prick each a few times with a fork, and microwave on a plate 8 to 10 minutes until tender, turning once.
- While they cook, warm the chicken with the barbecue sauce in a skillet over medium heat, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Split each sweet potato lengthwise and fluff the insides with a fork; add the butter and a pinch of salt.
- Spoon the BBQ chicken over each potato.
- Top with cheddar and green onion and serve while hot.
Timing Before Practice
Start about 25 minutes out; the microwave handles the potatoes while you warm the chicken.
- T-minus 25: prick and microwave the sweet potatoes
- T-minus 12: warm chicken with barbecue sauce
- T-minus 4: split potatoes, top, and plate
Make It Ahead or Save Leftovers
Both the potatoes and the chicken reheat well, so leftovers make an easy repeat dinner.
- Microwave the potatoes earlier and rewarm them in 90 seconds
- Store the BBQ chicken separately so it does not dry out
- Chop leftovers into a quick quesadilla the next day
- Serve with: steamed broccoli, a side of coleslaw
Parent Tip
Microwave times vary by size, so start checking small potatoes at the 7-minute mark.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
Potatoes microwaved before homework
Cook them at four and rewarm each one in ninety seconds when everyone is actually ready.
Sauce kept off the chicken until serving
Store them apart or the meat dries out and the sauce goes sticky in the fridge.
Half the barbecue sauce for a sensitive kid
Some sauces are sharper than they look; a third of a cup still coats three cups of chicken.
Steamed broccoli in the same microwave
A bag of florets goes in right after the potatoes and takes three minutes on its own.
Leftovers folded into a quesadilla
Barbecue chicken and cheddar between two tortillas is tomorrow's dinner and takes five minutes.
Plan the next step
Plan more sheet-and-skillet dinners
Use the planner to map a few hands-off meals around your practice nights.