Loaded Baked Potato and Buffalo Chicken Casserole

By junerodgers

Ingredients

• 6 medium potatoes cut into cubes (skin on)
• 1/3 cup oil (olive or vegetable)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 2 tablespoons garlic powder
• 5 tablespoons hot sauce
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 cups shredded cheese (Mexican blend, cheddar, whatever you have on hand works!)
• 1/2 package (7 strips) Maple Leaf Ready Crisp Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• 1/2 cup diced green onion

Details

Adapted from feistyfrugalandfabulous.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 500 F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl mix together the oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika and hot sauce; then add the potatoes and stir to coat.

Scoop (don’t pour) the potatoes into the prepared baking dish leaving behind as much of the sauce mixture as possible.

Bake the potatoes for 50 minutes, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes, until cooked through, crispy and browned on the outside.

While the potatoes are cooking, add the diced chicken to the left over sauce mix and stir to coat. Allow the chicken to marinate in the fridge while the potatoes bake.

In a separate bowl mix together the cheese, bacon and green onion and set aside.

Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 400 F

Top the potatoes with the raw marinated chicken, then top the chicken with the cheese mixture.

Return the casserole to the oven and bake for 20minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the topping is melted and bubbly.

Serve with extra hot sauce, ranch dressing or sour cream.