BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato Lasagna

If you’ve been reading the blog for a while, you know that I have this identity crisis going on all the time.  Am I Texan?  Am I Italian?  Am I a beach-loving surfer girl?

It’s exhausting!

I must admit that there are days when I feel like all three, but when I have the chance to mix 2 or all 3 personalities mindsets I take it.

I guess I should clarify – this is all in regards to my cooking, decorating, and gardening.  Mainly.  I know my identity but there’s just something fun about a Texan-Italian surfer living in Colorado that just makes sense.  Can I get an AMEN?!

Anyway, the other day I was craving both lasagna and BBQ chicken.  The mental battle of mental battles was waging inside of my poor brain.  Lasagna.  Chicken.  LASAGNA!  CHICKEN!  It was almost too much of a burden to bear when suddenly the heavens opened and brilliance! shone through.  BBQ Chicken Lasagna.  The deal was signed the moment the worked eked through my mind.

As for the sweet potato part, I don’t know about you but I find myself constantly trying to figure out how to sneak veggies into our meals.  And if it’s all in one dish?  All the better since I hate it when I have to use pans that don’t go in the dishwasher.  Extra dishes is for the birds.  The cool thing about this recipe is that it’s a hybrid slow-cooker meal and, if you double the slow cooker part, can provide enough shredded BBQ chicken to make sandwiches the next day.  Winner winner BBQ chicken lasagna dinner!

BBQ CHICKEN AND SWEET POTATO LASAGNA

• 3 chicken breasts
• 1 28-oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup apple cidar vinegar
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 Tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 Tbsp black pepper
• 1/2 Tbsp crushed red pepper (less if you don’t want it spicy)
• 1/2 Tbsp ground mustard
• 1 Tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 2 cups Ricotta cheese
• 1 egg
• salt and pepper
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and grated
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 1 box of lasagna noodles

In a slow cooker combine the crushed tomatoes, sugars, vinegar, spices, and Worchestershire sauce.  Lay the chicken breasts in the sauce and cook on high for 4 hours.  Shred the chicken and put it back in the sauce.  This can be refrigerated til ready to use.

For the lasagna, preheat oven to 375.  In one bowl mix together the Ricotta cheese, egg, and a pinch of salt and pepper.  In another bowl mix together the shredded sweet potato and cheese.  Layer the lasagna with a small bit of BBQ sauce on the bottom, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/2 of the Ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the sweet potato/cheese mixture, 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, the other 1/2 of the Ricotta mixture, 1/3 of the sweet potato/cheese mixture, 1/3 of the sauce, 1/3 of the noodles, 1/3 of the sauce, and top with the remaining 1/3 of the sweet potato/cheese mixture.  Cover with foil and bake at 375 for 45 minutes, then remove foil and increase heat to 400.  Bake another 10-15 minutes until the top is golden brown and the noodles are al dente.  Let sit for 15 minutes to set, and then serve warm!

I suppose there’s a reason I have so many personalities mindsets…gotta keep Nate and you guys on your toes!

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P.S. Check out Ashley’s amazing post on Faces of Beauty today!