Chicken, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Skillet

My grocery pickup order is set and ready to go for tomorrow. I’ve got a pile of firewood right outside the door waiting to be burned down. Our little homestead is prepared to last this entire, extremely long cold snap.

I haven’t been outside since Saturday. I’m pretty sure my car is frozen over and probably won’t start the next time I decide to drive (whenever that may be). I’m trying to cook meals that are extremely hearty and WARM. The last thing a person wants to eat right now is a cold sandwich or salad.

Over the last week I’ve been alternating between this skillet dinner and a big bowl of stew for dinner. I love this skillet dinner because it’s spicy and really warms you up from the inside out. A small bowl of this stuff goes a long way, too.

Skillet dinners are usually extremely easy to make and this one is no different. The hardest thing is knowing when the sweet potatoes are done. I let this simmer on the stovetop for 30 minutes and then used a fork to see if the sweet potatoes were tender. That’s the best thing to do in this case.

I hope wherever you live it isn’t 12 degrees like it is here. We’re in for a much bigger storm this weekend and it could really start to look like the tundra or Siberia around these parts. If all goes well, I’ll have plenty of soups and hearty meals from here on out.

Enjoy!

Chicken, Black Bean & Sweet Potato Skillet

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: 45 mins
• Difficulty: Easy
• Print

A big skillet dinner filled with beans, sweet potatoes, spicy chicken, cheese and cilantro.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
• 1 TBS. olive oil
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 can black beans, drained
• 1 can diced tomatoes with green chiles, undrained
• 1 cup salsa verde
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup shredded Mexican-style cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Season chicken with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, cayenne, cumin and oregano. Cook chicken until browned and cooked through, about 4-5 minutes.
2. Add onion and garic to skillet and saute until slightly tender, another 3-4 minutes.
3. Stir in sweet potatoes, beans, tomatoes, and salsa verde. Let mixture come to a boil and then simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.
4. Top skillet with cheese and let melt. Sprinkle cilantro on top and remove from heat and serve.