Monday, January 16, 2012

Slow Cooker Buffalo Chicken & Sweet Potato Fries

  What meal is my go-to meal to feed the Bear or a crowd?  This easy buffalo chicken recipe is from Iowa Girl Eats.  Kristen is one of my favorite bloggers.  All of her recipes are very tasty and she has a good sense of humor.  I love this recipe because you can use the chicken in wraps, on a salad, or as a pizza topping.  It also makes enough to feed a crowd.  All you need is chicken, a packet of ranch dressing mix, and your favorite wing sauce.  Pop everything in your slow cooker on low for 4 to 6 hours, shred the chicken, and you have one tasty meal.  The Bear enjoyed a wrap and I topped the chicken over a salad.
  We both enjoyed a side of sweet potato fries.  I love sweet potatoes!  They are just as versatile as your regular tator, but are packed with a ton of nutrients.  I know anyone could pay a couple of extra dollars for the bagged sweet potato fries; however, why not save your cash and make your own.  Here is how I make mine.


Sweet Potato Fries
Non-stick cooking spray
2 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1/4 inch fries
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees.  Peel and cut your sweet potatoes into 1/4 fries.  I try to select sweet potatoes that are a little longer versus chubby so they are easier to cut.  I cut mine by slicing the whole potato in half, then into fourths, and then cutting the slices into sticks.  Next, place the fries into a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle in the sugar, salt, and pepper and toss to evenly coat each fry.  The sugar will bring out the natural sweetness of the sweet potato and make a nice brown crust on the fry without having to fry them in oil.  Next, spread the fries on a large baking sheet coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Bake them in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown.  If you want your fries to have a more even color, you can flip them once in the middle of the baking process.  Serve plain, with catchup, or a side of creamy ranch dressing.  I served the above fries with a side of chipotle ranch by using plain ranch dressing and adding a little adobo sauce for a little kick.  Yum!

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