Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes With Crispy Quinoa
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Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are insanely delicious and easy to make. Creamy, flavor-packed shredded pesto chicken is stuffed into baked sweet potatoes and topped with crispy quinoa.
This recipe was developed in paid partnership with Filippo Berio. Thank you so much for being supportive of me working with brands I use and love!
I have been sweet potato obsessed ever since I can remember. I will always choose sweet potato fries over regular french fries and now I’m stuffing baked sweet potatoes with creamy pesto chicken!
This is one of those recipes that you taste, reflect, and wonder how something so healthy taste this delicious.
I’ll tell you how. Flippo Berio’s pesto is booming with all the good flavors!
Pesto chicken
These pesto jars may be small, but the flavor surely is not. Each jar of Filippo Berio Classic Pesto is jam packed with all the flavors of freshly picked basil. It’s also produced in Italy so you know it’s the real deal!
It’s seriously so delicious.
I also took a fun pestonality quiz on Filippo Berio’s website to see which pesto flavor matched my personality best. Can you guess which one I was matched with?
These Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are insanely delicious and easy to make. Creamy, flavor-packed shredded pesto chicken is stuffed into baked sweet potatoes and topped with crispy quinoa.It wasn’t the classic pesto if that’s what you’re thinking!
I was actually matched with the creamy Tomato & Ricotta Pesto. To be honest, I’m not surprised. Tomatoes and ricotta cheese are one of my favorite combinations and that pesto flavor is unreal!
This recipe will work with any of Filippo Berio’s pesto flavors so feel free to switch things up and try out a different flavor.
Are sweet potatoes healthy?
It seems like people in the health industry are constantly raving about the nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes. But are they actually good for you? Without giving you a long explanation of why, YES sweet potatoes are healthy!
They are packed with tons of vitamins and minerals. Sweet potatoes are also budget friendly, nutrient-dense and just an overall MVP ingredient to have in the fridge at all times.
Nutritional benefits of sweet potatoes
Now that you know sweet potatoes are in fact healthy, here’s a breakdown of some of their nutritional benefits. Sweet potatoes are high in:
- Vitamin A – key for good vision, a healthy immune system, and cell growth
- Manganese – required for the normal functioning of your brain, nervous system and many of your body’s enzyme systems
- Potassium – helps your muscles work, including the muscles that control your heartbeat and breathing
- Fiber – helps regulate the body’s use of sugars, helping to keep hunger and blood sugar in check
- Vitamin B – vital to the healthy growth and function of organs, including the brain and heart
- Vitamin C – an essential nutrient involved in the repair of tissue and the enzymatic production of certain neurotransmitters
How to make Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
This is one of those recipes you’ll want to make while you’re hanging out around the house on the weekend. It doesn’t take a lot of effort, but the cook time is a little lengthier than the 30 minute or less recipes I often post.
It’s perfect for meal prepping lunches or weeknight dinners. This recipe makes about 8 servings, and all you have to do is pop them in the oven or microwave to heat them up.
To make stuffed sweet potatoes:
First, you’ll want to get started on the chicken because that has the longest cook time. Although it’s pretty quick for a slow cooker. The chicken cooks for 2.5 hours on high in the slow cooker, but if you find yourself wanting more time to run errands or binge an entire series on Netflix, you can cook it for 4 hours on low.
To do this, line the slow cooker with onions, then add the chicken and top each chicken breast with 2 tablespoons of pesto. Spread the pesto over the chicken evenly. When it’s finished in the slow cooker, drain the liquid, shred the chicken using two forks, and mix in the rest of the pesto and mayonnaise.
While the chicken cooks, preheat the oven and bake the sweet potatoes for 45-60 minutes. The bake time will vary depending on how big your potatoes are. I use the largest ones I can find because they hold more of the good stuff!
While the chicken and sweet potatoes are cooking, I like to prepare the crispy quinoa. To do this, cook the quinoa according to the package instructions and then season with salt and pepper.
This is the quinoa I like to use because it cooks in just 15 minutes.
Then heat a large non-stick pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. This olive oil is the BEST because it has a high smoke point. Arrange the quinoa in a flat layer in the pan and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes without touching it. I know it’s tempting to give it a toss, but don’t do it!
You can lift up small sections to check for browning, and once you see that it’s beginning to turn golden brown, toss the quinoa around the pan, arrange it in a flat layer and cook for an additional 3-5 minutes or until crispy.
Once the quinoa is finished, you can set it aside until you’re ready to stuff the sweet potatoes.
When the sweet potatoes are tender enough to easily poke with a fork, remove them from the oven and slice them in half lengthwise. Allow them to cool a little before scooping out about two thirds of the flesh.
If you’re looking for something to do with the extra sweet potato flesh in this recipe, you can whip up a quick side of Mashed Sweet Potatoes.
To assemble these bad boys, fill them with the shredded pesto chicken, cherry tomatoes, and then top them with the crispy quinoa.
You can top them with fresh basil or parmesan cheese for even more flavor!
How delicious do they look?! I can’t wait to share so many more stuffed sweet potato recipes with you!
STAY TUNED!
These Stuffed Sweet Potatoes are insanely delicious and easy to make. Creamy, flavor-packed shredded pesto chicken is stuffed into baked sweet potatoes and topped with crispy quinoa. #JZEATS #stuffedsweetpotatoesWhat you need to make stuffed sweet potatoes
- Oven safe baking dish (this is the one from the photos above)
- Really good knives (I’m obsessed with these)
- Slow cooker (I love the settings and lock feature on this one)
- A good pair of tongs
- Filippo Berio Classic Pesto (Amazon has a six pack so you can stock up!)
- Mayonnaise
- Quinoa (this is my go-to brand)
When I say I love Filippo Berio products, I mean it. I have been working with them for over a year to bring you a new recipe each month featuring one of their amazing products. BUT I have been purchasing their products for years, even before this blog was born. I am increadibly honored to include them as one of my trusted partners on JZ Eats!
Check out my other recipes using Filippo Berio products:
- Roasted Beet Hummus
- Broccolini With Marcona Almonds
- Heart Beet Brownies
- Pesto Grilled Cheese
- Burrata Pesto Pizza
- Lemon Orzo Salad With Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Watermelon Caprese Skewers
Want to try these Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes?
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Pesto Chicken Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
- 3 boneless chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup Filippo Berio Classic Pesto (about 1 jar)
- 2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
- 4 large sweet potatoes
- 1/4 cup quinoa
- 1/4 cup cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
- 1 sweet onion, sliced into 1 inch rounds
- salt and pepper
- olive oil
Instructions
Pesto Chicken
- Line the slow cooker with the onion and place the chicken on top. Then spread 2 tablespoons of pesto over each chicken breast. Cook on high for 2.5 hours.
- Drain the liquid from the slow cooker and shred the chicken using two forks. Mix in the remaining pesto and mayonnaise.
Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat the oven to 400 F. While the chicken is cooking, poke a few holes around the sweet potatoes with a fork or a sharp knife. Place them on a foiled baking sheet and bake for 45-60 minutes or until you can easily pierce a fork through the skin. Greasing the baking sheet will make it easier to lift the sweet potatoes off once they finish cooking.
- Remove the sweet potatoes from the oven, allow them to cool, then slice in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Scoop out part of the sweet potato flesh with a spoon. If the center is still firm, place them back in the oven for an additional 10 minutes or until you can easily scoop out the inside with a spoon.
Crispy Quinoa
- While the sweet potatoes and chicken are cooking, cook the quinoa according to the package instructions. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat a medium sized non-stick pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat and pat the quinoa down in a flat layer across the whole pan. Allow it to cook for 3-4 minutes, then toss it around, pat down again, and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until golden brown. Don't touch the quinoa while it's "crisping" or it won't get crispy! You can lift up small sections to check for browning.
Assembly
- Place the shredded chicken inside the sweet potatoes, then top with tomatoes, crispy quinoa, and chives.
