Cake, Batter, and Bowl

BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Baked Potatoes with Corn and Roasted Red Peppers

Main Dishes

I’ve been unable to stop smiling lately. I just feel like we have so much to look forward to – we’re moving next week into a more spacious apartment and will finally have a grown up master suite with a walk-in closet. I’m already itching to organize our new kitchen and we’re working on buying new furniture to keep things more organized – yes, all our books will actually be on bookcases instead of hidden away in boxes in the garage! We also have a couple of fun trips planned for the fall including a visit with my mom over her birthday weekend, a trip to Portland, Oregon for my dear friend Britt’s wedding, and a once in a lifetime adventure to New Zealand!

Small things usually make me smile too though – a sweet training run, an iced mocha (soon to be a pumpkin latte – yay!), or a yummy dinner like these easy baked potatoes loaded with all the delightful goodies in today’s lengthy recipe title. These were really filling and perfect for leftovers the next day!

BBQ Chicken and Cheddar Baked Potatoes with Corn and Roasted Red Peppers
Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and poked all over with a fork
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
Corn from 4 ears of corn
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 7-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
Juice of half a lime
2 cooked boneless chicken breasts (I poached mine), shredded
1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
1 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Directions:
Heat oven to 400˚F. Place potatoes on a large cookie sheet and bake at 400˚F for 60 to 70 minutes or until tender. Cool 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out most of the flesh, leaving just enough behind that the potato skins can still stand up. Place flesh in a large bowl. Mash well and stir in butter and 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat and sauté onions for 5 to 7 minutes or until soft; add corn and sauté 3 more minutes; add garlic and sauté one additional minute. Remove from heat and stir in roasted red peppers, lime juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Place veggies in the bowl with the potato flesh and mix well.

Preheat oven broiler. Mix shredded chicken and BBQ sauce together in a medium bowl. Fill potato skins evenly with the potato/veggie mixture. Top evenly with BBQ chicken and cheddar cheese. Broil for 2 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Makes 4 servings.

Nutrition: 660 calories, 26.7g fat, 7.2g fiber, 45.4g protein per serving
Cost: $2.53 per serving

Creamy Lemon Summer Squash Pasta

So it’s official – I’m a triathlete! I finished my first sprint triathlon at the Cranberry Trifest yesterday. The race was a 0.5 mile pond swim, followed by a 11.5 mile bike ride, and 3.1 mile run. My official time was 1:28:00, which put me in the top fourth of my age...

Shrimp Tacos with Corn Salsa

There are some things I never pass up and one of them is corn on the cob. I will eat it anytime, anywhere, even if I don’t have any floss with me. The deliciousness is definitely worth having a few annoying pieces stuck in my teeth! Of course, fresh summer corn is...

Moroccan Spiced Chicken

I’ve gotten in a little summer routine in the kitchen lately. We can’t get enough zucchini and yellow squash and every Sunday I end up sautéing a bunch of the veggies (7 yesterday!) in my huge wok to enjoy alongside some chicken and carby side dish of some kind....

Yuzu Miso Mahi Mahi

I recently swooned over a delicious yuzu miso sauce served with one of the tuna rolls at our local sushi joint and decided something similar must be incorporated into my next fish dish - never mind the fact that I didn’t even know what yuzu was or where to find it!...

Citrus Glazed Salmon

When I got home from New Orleans this week, I found 3 salmon fillets that my hubby had defrosted in the fridge. Apolinaras is a great cook and loves to grill and throw meals together with whatever is laying around. Because he doesn’t ever follow recipes or write...

Fiesta Potato Pie

I think casseroles, like meatloaf, tend to get a bad rap, which is sad because not all casseroles contain “cream of whatever” soup - many are quite delicious! It’s been chilly, rainy, and depressing in Boston lately so I decided to cheer myself up by making a savory...

Summer Veggie and Chicken Lasagna with Goat Cheese Sauce

I think I’ve mentioned before that I often devour leftovers for dinner because I tend to get home pretty late and I'm always starving when  I walk in the door. So, when I do manage to find time to cook during the week, I’m usually whipping up a meal to enjoy the...

Five Spice Scallops over Sesame Spinach

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We had seven adults at our celebration, including Shannon and her parents, and my good friend Geeti and her hubby Puneet and their cutie newborn son. Shannon and I split up the menu so we both ended up being quite relaxed...