BBQ Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Potatoes

Indulgent Flavors with a Healthy Twist

If you have been reading along with me (either this post or this post), then you know that I love BBQ sauce! I pretty much have to since I was born and raised in Texas, and because of that, baked or grilled BBQ chicken is a staple. A delicious staple. And even more delicious when you combine sweet and tangy BBQ chicken with crispy, salty bacon and cool, creamy ranch. Did I mention it was all dairy free and refined sugar free? Oh, and made in one pan, then stuffed inside a hot baked potato for minimal mess?! It just gets better and better! Flavors so delicious and indulgent, you wouldn’t know it was paleo and Whole30 compliant. Let’s get to the recipe, shall we?

BBQ Chicken, Bacon, Ranch Potatoes

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 large russet or sweet potatoes
• 2 lbs of chicken (if you have leftover meat from my Roasted Chicken with Carrots this would be the perfect use for it!)
• 3/4 cup of compliant BBQ sauce (here is mine, and here is my favorite store bought brand)
• 4 slices of compliant bacon
• 1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced
• Six to eight mushrooms, sliced
• Ranch dressing (here is mine , and here is my favorite store bought brand)
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt, divided
• 1 tsp pepper, divided
• 2 tbsp of avocado oil
• Optional toppings:
• • sliced avocado
• • chopped scallions
• • an extra drizzle of BBQ sauce

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 425 F
• Pierce potatoes several times with a fork
• Place in oven to bake for about 45-60 minutes, until easily pierced with a fork
• Meanwhile, season the chicken with salt and pepper (skip the next few steps if using leftover chicken meat)
• Cook the chicken in avocado oil in a large pan, over medium-low heat
• Once cooked through, shred or cube the chicken
• Set aside
• In the same pan, cook bacon until desired crispness
• Set aside on paper towels to drain
• Crumble bacon once cooled
• In the same pan, place the sliced onions and mushrooms, season with remaining salt and pepper
• Cover and cook over low heat until desired tenderness
• Place cubed or shredded chicken back into the pan with the vegetables
• Cover with BBQ sauce, stirring to make sure it’s evenly distributed, and cook until warm
• By now, the potatoes should be done
• Slice them open and fill with BBQ chicken/veggie mixture
• Top with crumbled bacon, a generous helping of ranch, and any other desired toppings
• Leftovers will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week

For more potato recipes, check out my Taco Stuffed Potatoes with Avocado Chipotle Ranch, Oven Baked Fries, Creamy Whole30 Mashed Potatoes, Mustard Potato Salad, and Roasted Potatoes.

I hope you enjoy this cozy and comforting, healthy, minimal-mess meal! It’s a win-win; happy family with satisfied taste buds and full bellies, and less time cleaning up after dinner! Get out of the kitchen and go relax…and enjoy your pinch of crazy!

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One Pan Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas

Winner, Winner, One Pan Dinner

It has been fairly hectic in the Mills’ household lately, and recently we had one of those days. You know, one of those days that isn’t just a pinch of crazy, but a GENEROUS pinch [heaping tablespoon] of crazy. So what do you do for dinner on those generous pinch of crazy days? You could pick up fast food on the way home, halfway enjoying your questionable beef, and consequently regretting decisions dating back to 1997. (Just me?) Or you could make a one pan dinner!

All you need to prepare this spicy, satisfying, simple meal is: a cutting board, a knife, and either a big baking sheet or a 9×13 dish! You could even buy crisp, pre-chopped fajita veggies and cut out the chopping! I’m using a lot of adjectives and exclamation points because easy dinners (and easy clean ups) make me excited!!!

Actually, this “recipe” is so easy that I almost felt it wasn’t worth it to post, but I want to be authentic by showing that it doesn’t have to be extraordinarily expensive, difficult, or time consuming to feed your family healthy food. I wish I could be as fancy as some of the chefs I watch on TV (Top Chef is my guilty pleasure!), but in reality, I’m just a mom trying to get dinner on the table in under an hour, and trying to conceal my toddler’s vegetables in a thick blanket of guacamole.

Now, the seasoning on these fajitas is fairly bold, so if you know your family doesn’t do spicy, scale it back a bit. It’s adaptable to different seasonings, or even different veggies, because you kind of just dump everything together and toss it in the oven. It truly is perfect for those days, and you will feel good about feeding your family a healthy, home cooked meal. The leftovers are excellent with salad greens and my Dairy free Garlic Herb Ranch. 

If you have a busy day coming up, I hope you plan on making this dinner! Your budget and belly will thank you!

One Pan Chicken and Shrimp Fajitas

Serves four or five, but great as leftovers for fajita salad.

Ingredients:

• Three large chicken breasts, cut into slices
• 1/2 pound shrimp
• Three bell peppers, cut into strips
• One onion, cut into strips
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt, plus a little more for shrimp
• 1 tsp pepper, plus a little more for shrimp
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne
• Lettuce wraps or tortillas for serving
• Optional toppings
  • guacamole
  • salsa
  • cilantro
  • squeeze of fresh lime

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 while preparing meat and vegetables
• Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper, set aside
• Spray either a 9×13 pan or large baking sheet with cooking spray
• Put all chopped vegetables and chicken on prepared pan
• Drizzle evenly with olive oil
• Sprinkle seasoning evenly over it all
• Mix until oil and seasoning is evenly coating everything
• Cook for 35 minutes
• Place shrimp on top and cook for another 5-7 minutes until shrimp is pink
• Serve with lettuce wraps or tortillas and top generously with guacamole and Spicy Garlic Salsa

I hope these simple and quick fajitas free up your evening; less time cooking and cleaning means more time with family. Enjoy them…and enjoy your [generous] pinch of crazy!