This one-pot chicken Mexican rice casserole uses sweet potato for extra creaminess! It’s a healthy, gluten free, 8 ingredient dinner for busy weeknights that is only 330 calories!
Creamy, tender rice with a little bit of SPIIIICCCE.
And chicken and MASHED SWEET POTATO.
It’s a good thing guys.
Just like last year’s Moroccan chicken skillet, This one-skillet wonder of general easy-weeknight-delicious-dinner-food love is the current champion of my heart in the sense that 1. I love it. 2. The Hub’s loves it 3. ONE SKILLET and 4. 8 INGREDIENTS.
A combination of good-life-things for your hungry Mexican-food-loving SOULS.
BUT FIRST. Let’s chat about all the other healthy one-skillet meals that my bloggin’ gal-pals are bringing to the table:
Lindsay has a Mediterranean Marinated Balsamic Pork Loin Skillet! This Mediterranean Marinated Balsamic Pork Loin Skillet with vegetables makes for an easy one pan meal! Healthy, Balanced, Paleo and ready 45 minutes. Feed your family with this Flavorful Mediterranean pork dish in a tangy balsamic sauce. Click HERE to get the recipe!
Lexi has a tasty Loaded Veggie Taco Skillet! This 30-Minute Loaded Taco Skillet is loaded with veggies, lean protein, and so much flavor! All you need is 30 minutes and one skillet to prepare this low carb, healthy meal that everybody will devour! Click HERE to get the recipe!
Brittany’s got a yummy Zucchini Noodle Shrimp Lo Mein! Dinner is done in less than 20 minutes with this quick and easy zucchini noodle lo mein. It’s loaded with shrimp and veggies for a low-carb protein packed meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Paleo and gluten-free. Click HERE to get the recipe!
Finally, Gina has a totally tasty Turkey Skillet Mac and Cheese! This one-pot turkey skillet mac and cheese is like a grownup version of hamburger helper and a much healthier option than that boxed stuff. Filled with spinach, peppers, real cheddar cheese, on the table in just 30 minutes and easily made gluten-free too! Click HERE to get the recipe!
Back to rice and chicken and SWEET POTATOES oh my!
First things first. Have you ever made a rice casserole using sweet potato? Yeah, neither had I.
BUT THEN, I had leftovers from the pecan pie twice baked sweet potatoes and my “NO WASTING FOOD” brain was all “HOW CAN I USE THIS IN A CREATIVE WAY THAT WILL BRING JOY TO THE BELLIES OF THE PEOPLE THAT READ THE BLOG?!”
This all happened as I was simmering a pot of chewy rice, juicy chicken and salty broth and was already pondering what other flavor profiles should be mish-mashed inside to create the ultimate bite of easy dinner food BLISS.
And there was a sweet potato just peerin’ at me in the fridge.
After making healthy breakfast cookies that used sweet potato as a binder, I figured – HEY – why not do the same magical-binding-shenanigans in a casserole to give it extra OOMF and creaminess and stick-together-ness.
All of those are very technical terms.
Let’s just be real though. Have you have had a “casserole” that was BASICALLY just slightly-thicker-soup with a few chunks of veggies and/or meat? Friends. Let’s just make a life-pact with each other at this very real moment:
Like we talked about in the Instant Pot Chicken and Rice Casserole, watery casseroles have about NEGATIVE amounts of place in our lives.
Sweet potato + rice = the secret tag-team food combination to get that perfect creamy, casserole consistency.
Knowing that Mexican food + sweet potatoes also = delicious in your mouth (hi Mexican Sweet Potato Noodles Wrap and Mexican Sweet Potatoes!) in went the SALSA.
Also because I had 2 jars on my counter. Do you ever go to the grocery store before actually checking what you don’t have, only to come home and find you had 3 of whatever you just bought in your pantry?
#SOML.
The super-awesome fact about using salsa is that is allows you to use VERY few ingredients. Veggies? CHECK. Spices? CHECK! Chunky texture? YEUPPPP.
The gang is already all there. And the “gang” are healthy, real-food ingredients which is why salsa is the current winner of the flavor-packed-addition category of life.
If you want to make this dairy-free, you could SUPER easily leave off the cheese on the top. This is what I do for my not-able-to-eat-cheese husband and he tells me it tastes JUST YUM.
I might put his cheese on mine though. Just sayin’.
And if you want Mexican food, but not feeling the casserole situation, I highly recommend my Santa Fe chicken!
I don’t know about you, but I think I am sensing a soft-spot forming in my heart for super-easy dinners, that require only ONE pot and less ingredients than I have fingers.
Like I said, it’s a VERY good thing.
Other recipes you might like:
Three Bean Mexican Corn Black Bean Salad
Mexican Tuna Stuffed Zucchini Boats
Mexican Shakshuka Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 lb Extra-lean ground turkey (or chicken)
- 2 1/2 Cups Reduced-sodium Chicken broth
- 1 Cup Brown Rice
- 1 Cup Mashed sweet potato (from a medium baked potato)
- 3/4 Cup Salsa, of choice
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 4 Cups Fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/2 Cup Reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend
- Cilantro, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil on medium heat in a large, oven-safe skillet. Add in the turkey and cook, breaking into small pieces, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the chicken broth, rice, sweet potato, salsa, salt and pepper until well combined. Turn the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, boil for 2 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet and cook until the water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 1 hour.
- Stir in the spinach, cover and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the cheese on top, cover, and cook and additional 1-2 minutes until melted.
- Garnish with cilantro and DEVOUR
Nutrition Info:
Recipes written and produced on Food Faith Fitness are for informational purposes only.
FOR THIS RECIPE, I RECOMMEND:
Weight Watchers Points Per Serving: SmartPoints: 11 Points+: 8. Old Points: 7
(per 1/4 of the skillet)
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