Every Thanksgiving, we end up with a fridge full of leftovers. Despite seating a maximum of six people around our table, we still cook enough to feed a small army because we follow the same family recipes handed down from my regular and great-grandparents, who had between six and twelve children in their households.
Although we usually talk about cutting down on side dishes, or at least halving a recipe or two, those good intentions always fly out the window on Turkey Day. The only thing weāve ever downsized is the bird!
I know, weāre kind of crazyā¦ But nobody really likes dark meat in our family, and when given the choice between turkey or chicken or ham, that first option is generally everyoneās least favorite. So now we only cook a turkey breast, and next year, we may just do ham!
This year, to channel my inner boy scout and always be prepared, I started brainstorming ways to creatively repurpose leftovers this past weekend instead of resulting to reheating the same Thanksgiving feast over and over again in the microwave. While tweaking my all-time favorite side dish, maple Ā sweet potato casserole, a light bulb went off.
If I saved the skinsā¦ And added some greensā¦ And topped that with a little cheeseā¦ I could create sweet potato skins! Specifically, these Chicken & Cranberry Sweet Potato Skins. Because we prefer chicken over turkey, of course!
When you start to make your sweet potato casseroleāor even mashed potatoes, if you arenāt a fan of the orange varietyāskip peeling the skins before cooking them. Bake the potatoes and hollow out the insides for your traditional Thanksgiving dish instead. Stash the cooled skins in a zip-topped bag in the fridge, and just pull them out whenever youāre ready to jazz up your leftovers!
To make the skins crispy, weāll bake those again first while preparing the filling. I lightly coated mine with cooking spray, then sprinkled them with a generous shower of salt. That crisp skin combined with the bite of saltā¦ Oh boy, itās nearly as addictive as these cookies!
If youāre creating yours with Thanksgiving leftovers, I recommend diced turkey and cranberry salad (the kind made with fresh berries, not straight out of a can) to make these even easier. But if youāre preparing them on a random Monday night like I just did, you can either cook the chicken that evening or use whatever you prepared earlier in the week.
Then just wilt a little fresh spinach in a pan, add in your cranberry salad (or freshly chopped cranberries), and sautĆ© them until theyāre warmed through. This helps make sure that the filling is hot by the time the cheese melts.
And oh boy, do not forget that cheese! That ooey gooey melted stuff on top is the best part. I canāt be the only cheese lover out there! Whoās with me??
You guysā¦ SO many awesome flavors going on here! The tangy cranberries, the earthy spinach, the sweet potatoes, the salty cheeseā¦ Itās basically your stomachās idea of heaven! Or, at the very least, a much more exciting way to enjoy leftovers.
And yes, you better believe these Chicken & Cranberry Sweet Potato Skins are making an appearance on the menu on Black Friday!
These stuffed sweet potato skins are so easy to throw together, and they taste much more sophisticated than the traditional potato skins. The tangy cranberries combined with the crispy skins and melted cheese is pure bliss! To reheat any extras leftover, either microwave for 30-45 seconds or place in the oven at 350Ā°F for a few minutes until warmed through.
- Preheat the oven to 375Ā°F, and line a baking sheet with foil. Lightly coat the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Place the 4 sweet potato halves skin side up, and lightly coat with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with the salt. Bake at 375Ā°F for 15 minutes.
- While the sweet potato skins bake, prepare the filling. Lightly coat a large pan with nonstick cooking spray, and briefly preheat over medium-low heat. Add the spinach, and sautĆ© until it has wilted. Add in the cranberries and chicken, and continue to sautĆ© until theyāre warmed through.
- Flip over the sweet potato skins, and divide the filling between them. Top each with 1 Ā½ teaspoons of mozzarella. Bake at 375Ā°F for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted. Cool on the pan for 1-2 minutes before serving.
Notes: For Thanksgiving leftovers, substitute diced turkey breast for the chicken and cranberry sauce (made with fresh berries, not canned) for the cranberries. If you prefer regular potatoes instead of sweet potatoes, use those skins instead.
To bake and hollow out the sweet potatoes, liberally pierce each with a fork. Place on a microwave-safe plate, and microwave on HIGH for 8-10 minutes, flipping the sweet potatoes upside down halfway through, or until fork tender. Let them rest for 5-10 minutes before scraping out the insides, leaving a Ā¼ā border. After hollowed out, the 4 sweet potato skins I used totaled 214 grams.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, low carb, high protein}
I’ll eat all your dark meat turkey, k?? But also, I’ll take the chicken leftovers for these sweet potato skins! I love this savory dish – Can it be the day after Thanksgiving yet?
Please, take the dark meat!! It’ll just go to waste… Or to our dog. š I love the day after Thanksgiving, especially when I can sleep in when the rest of the world is out Black Friday shopping. Christmas movies, creative leftovers, hot chocolate… What more could we need??
This is probably going to be my favorite leftover recipe this thanksgiving! It sound so yummy!
Thank you so much Tori! š Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
I’m not a huge fan of Turkey either, especially if I have to smell it cooking all day, Yuck! This is a wonderful idea for using sweet potato skins! Pinning!
Thank you so much Jen! We normally cook ours outside on the weber. One of the perks of living in a warmer state! š
Hi Amy, oooh I do hope you’ll swing by to Food on Friday to add this to Chicken! Cheers from Carole from Carole’s Chatter
Thanks Carole!
Never thought to stuff sweet potato skins like this before. Definitely a delicious idea and perfect for this time of year too!
Thanks Thalia! š
These are delicious!
I had arugula on hand so laid it down fresh in the skin in lieu of the cooked spinach. It was great!
I had frozen cranberries so I used them with the chicken and added a little orange rind and a few tbs of fresh orange juice. So delicious. This recipe is definitely a keeper and easily can be modified with ingredients you have on hand. Thank you for the recipe! š
I’m so glad you enjoyed these sweet potato skins Cynthia! It means so much to me that you’d call this recipe a keeper — thank you for taking the time to let me know! š And I absolutely LOVE your idea of arugula! I became obsessed with its spicy flavor last year, but I hadn’t thought to try it out in these sweet potato skins. I think that needs to change ASAP! š