Smoky BBQ Chicken & Crispy Mashed Potato Skillet

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Last night's mashed potatoes get pressed into a hot buttered skillet until the bottom turns into a golden, crackly crust, then piled with leftover roast chicken tossed in smoky barbecue sauce, sweet corn and melted sharp cheddar. It's a whole second dinner out of two containers in the fridge, on the table in half an hour, and the kids fight over the crunchy edges.

Ingredients

• 3 cups leftover mashed potatoes
• 3 cups leftover roast or rotisserie chicken, shredded
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 1/2 cups sharp cheddar, grated
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced

• 2/3 cup barbecue sauce
• 1 cup frozen corn kernels
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425F. Take the mashed potatoes out of the fridge and stir them with a fork so they are loose enough to spread; if they are very stiff, work in 2 tablespoons of water or milk.
2. Melt the butter in a 10-inch cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet over medium heat until it foams. Spoon in the mashed potatoes and press them into an even layer right to the edges with the back of a spoon. Cook undisturbed for 10 to 12 minutes, until you can smell toasted potato and the underside is deep golden and crisp (lift an edge with a spatula to check).
3. Meanwhile, toss the shredded chicken in a bowl with the barbecue sauce, frozen corn, smoked paprika, salt and pepper until everything is coated.
4. Spread the chicken mixture over the potato crust in an even layer, leaving the crisp edges of the mash showing. Scatter the cheddar over the top.
5. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the cheese is fully melted and the barbecue sauce is bubbling at the edges. For browned, blistered cheese, broil for a final 1 to 2 minutes, watching closely.
6. Rest 5 minutes off the heat, scatter with the sliced scallions, and cut into wedges straight from the pan, scraping up the crust underneath each serving.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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