I went back and forth over whether it was even worth sharing this dish with you guys. It almost seemed too simple, but since I’d never thought to do it before, I figured there were probably at least a few of you who’d benefit from the post. And besides, it’s a ridiculously easy dinner idea, and I’m pretty sure you can never have enough of those in your arsenal. Plus it solves the problem of what to do with just a little bit of leftover shredded chicken, which is one I’m faced with surprisingly often. Oh, and obviously we thought it was really good π
Shane’s parents were headed out of town for the weekend today and they offered their house to us; we jumped at the chance for a mini getaway! Sometimes it’s just nice to have a change of scenery for a few days (even if the weekend is supposed to be a total washout – boo), ya know? It was sort of a last minute decision, so as we were running around trying to pack and clean our house a little last night, this proved to be the perfect dinner. Throw the potatoes in the oven and let them do their thing for an hour, and when they’re almost done, just warm the chicken and barbecue sauce and prep the toppings. Maybe 5 or 7 minutes of hands-on time total, it doesn’t get much easier! I loved the way the skin of the potato crisped up in the oven and the contrast it provided to the fluffy interior and tender, juicy chicken.
The idea is open to a ton of variation too – you could use buffalo chicken, pulled pork or even roasted veggies if you wanted to skip the meat entirely. It makes it easy to customize to suit individual tastes too, and that’s always a good thing in our house.
Barbecue Chicken Stuffed Baked Potatoes
from Barefeet in the Kitchen
2 large russet potatoes, scrubbed
extra-virgin olive oil
kosher salt
1 cup cooked and shredded chicken
2/3 cup barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade)
scallions, shredded cheese and/or sour cream (optional toppings)
Preheat oven to 350 F. Dry the potatoes thoroughly. Use a fork to make several sets of holes in each potato. Place the potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with the olive oil then sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a fork inserted in the potatoes meets no resistance.
Meanwhile, combine the shredded chicken and barbecue sauce in a medium saucepan and set over low heat. Stirring occasionally, heat the mixture until warmed through. (You can add more barbecue sauce as desired.)
When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, slice each one down the center, leaving the ends in tact. Gently push on the ends of each potato to open it and expose the center. Use a fork to fluff the insides of each potato. Divide the barbecue chicken mixture between the potatoes, then garnish with toppings of your choice – we used sour cream, cheddar cheese and scallions.
I must say this does not sound all that good to me. Honesty is the best policy the old saying goes (I think). You so often do so much better, it’s a minor flaw in a major blogging career. LOL
Oh yes. I love this. Perfect man meal π
I am so glad that you did post this! I have seen a couple stuffed potatoes around but despite the ingredient list making sense (it’s like having bbq loaded fries), I have still been hesitant to make it. But it looks so darn good.
Where were you one week ago? I had barbeque shredded chicken, no buns, and potatoes I needed to use. Putting them together looks amazing. At least I’ll know for next time. π
This is so creative. Paul will LOVE this!
Your comment made me grin, because I almost didn’t share this recipe either. I’m glad you enjoyed it. I was happy my sister shared it with me, because I hadn’t thought of it before either.
Have a blessed weekend, Tracey!
What a gorgeous, super easy but also very tasty looking dish Tracey! I can’t wait to try it myself. Love oven baked patato’s! <3 Thanks!
This sounds absolutely wonderful!
Have a lovely weekend!
Mal @ The Chic Geek
I also have a few go-to dinners that aren’t really recipes but sort of are. I’m sure I’ve made some variation of this and probably not as photogenic but still delicious! π
I think this might be a way to get my hubby to eat baked potatoes π
Apparently I am “Anonymous.” Don’t mean to be hiding out. My true identity is revealed here. Best, Stephen.
I never think of stuff baking potatoes for dinner. My husband would be a happy guy if I did.
I sent you an email about doing a Breast Cancer thing with Cassie and I – did you get it?
These look awesome!
These look awesome!
I think this is a great idea! Thanks for sharing, it looks very yummy.
Not sure what “Anonymous” is thinking because this actually sounds amazing! It’s so creative, and you know I’m game for anything “stuffed”!
simple food is the best ,take my word for that:-)
thank you for sharing,i’m going to try it.
OMG that is the most genius idea I have ever seen! Looks delicious
Chicken is my favorite and I found your dish very quick and easy to make. I will try to make this sometime.
Thank you for an awesome easy dinner idea! Took me about 20 minutes to make total. Just like the ones they serve at Red Hot and Blue!
We make these with some regularity too. There was a restaurant back home that specialized in topped potatoes like this, so ours was the homemade copy. They definitely are good!
I have made this before with all the mentioned toppings and bacon bits. Doesn’t seem like the BBQ chicken would be good mixed with all that, but it is absolutely delish! My family loved it!!
We’ve made these before, with BBQ pork, and we call them “Pig in the Potato Patch”