Mexican-inspired Sweet Potato and Chicken Casserole combines spiralized sweet potatoes, shredded chicken, black beans, corn and melted Pepper Jack cheese, all coated in a flavorful guajillo pepper sauce. This hearty, family-friendly casserole delivers bold Mexican flavors with a comforting, home-cooked appeal. It’s a great weeknight dinner or a dish to bring to a potluck, and the portions are generous.
Sweet Potato and Chicken Casserole
This casserole uses spiralized sweet potatoes layered with shredded chicken and a vibrant guajillo pepper and tomato sauce, finished with melted Pepper Jack cheese. Spiralizing the sweet potatoes gives the dish a light texture and helps the sauce coat every strand for maximum flavor. If you don’t own a spiralizer, thinly sliced or shredded roasted sweet potato will work, but the spiralized version cooks evenly and looks attractive when served. The recipe balances the natural sweetness of the potatoes with smoky, mildly spicy guajillo peppers and the tang of tomatoes.
I like to keep shredded chicken on hand for quick preparations. You can make it in a slow cooker or poach breasts on the stove in about 10 minutes, then shred. The guajillo pepper sauce is the heart of this recipe: made from rehydrated dried guajillo chilies and blended with tomatoes, garlic, onion, cumin, salt and pepper, it’s mild and smoky. If you prefer more heat, stir in a little chipotle in adobo or more chilies to taste. If dried guajillo peppers are unavailable, 2–3 tablespoons of chipotle in adobo will work as a spicier substitute.
Guajillo Pepper Sauce
The guajillo sauce is fragrant and smoky, but not overly hot. To make it, rehydrate the dried guajillo peppers in boiling water until soft, remove stems and seeds, then blend them with cooked tomatoes, sautéed onion and garlic, plus cumin, salt and pepper. This creates a smooth, richly colored sauce that carries the other ingredients and keeps the casserole moist while baking. Blend until silky and adjust seasoning before mixing into the chicken, beans and corn.
How to Make Easy Shredded Chicken (Slow Cooker or Stove)
Using pre-cooked shredded chicken is the fastest way to assemble this casserole. Here are two easy methods:
- Slow Cooker: Place 24 oz (about three) boneless, skinless chicken breasts in the slow cooker. Add enough water or reduced-sodium chicken broth to cover the chicken. For extra flavor, add a quartered onion, a celery rib or a sprig of parsley. Cook on HIGH for 4 hours. Remove and shred the chicken with two forks. Refrigerate any leftovers for up to three days.
- Stovetop poaching: Bring 2 cups of water or low-sodium broth to a boil in a medium pot. Add the chicken breasts, reduce to a simmer and cook 8–10 minutes until cooked through. Remove, let cool slightly, then shred.
Spiralized Mexican Sweet Potato and Chicken Casserole
Yield: 6 servings • Total time: about 1 hour 45 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, or 12 oz shredded cooked chicken
- 2 sweet potatoes (about 12 oz total), spiralized and cut into 6-inch lengths
- 4 medium vine tomatoes
- 4 dried guajillo chili peppers (mild)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 onion, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup frozen corn
- 1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 5 oz Pepper Jack cheese, shredded (plus chopped scallions for topping, optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Spiralize the sweet potatoes using the smallest noodle blade and arrange them in a 9 x 13-inch (or similar) casserole dish in an even layer.
- If cooking fresh chicken, bring about 2 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Add the chicken breasts and simmer for 8–10 minutes until cooked through. Remove, cool slightly and shred. Place the shredded chicken in a large mixing bowl.
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the dried guajillo peppers. Cover and simmer until the peppers soften, about 10–20 minutes depending on freshness.
- Remove the peppers, allow them to cool slightly, then cut off stems and remove seeds and membranes. Transfer the cleaned peppers to a blender.
- Add the four tomatoes to the same boiling water and cook about 10 minutes until softened. Remove with a slotted spoon, slip off skins, and add the tomatoes to the blender.
- In a medium skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the quartered onion (or sliced) and garlic until lightly browned and fragrant. Transfer onion and garlic to the blender along with cumin, salt and pepper. Blend until smooth to form the guajillo-tomato sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning. If you like more heat, add a little chipotle in adobo or a pinch of chili flakes.
- Pour the sauce into the large bowl with shredded chicken, then add the black beans and corn. Stir until everything is evenly coated.
- Pour the chicken and sauce mixture over the spiralized sweet potatoes in the casserole dish, making sure the sauce gets between the spirals so the sweet potatoes cook through and absorb flavor.
- Sprinkle the shredded Pepper Jack cheese evenly over the top. Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until the sweet potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
- Remove the foil for the last 5–10 minutes of baking if you want the cheese to brown slightly. Top with chopped scallions, slice and serve warm.
Notes and Tips
– If you don’t have a spiralizer, thinly slice or shred the sweet potatoes; they will still work but may require slightly different baking time. - To reduce sodium, choose low-sodium broth for cooking the chicken and taste before adding extra salt. - Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat nicely in a covered baking dish or in the microwave.
Nutrition (approximate per serving)
Calories: 335 • Protein: 26 g • Carbs: 32 g • Fat: 12 g • Fiber: 6 g • Sodium: 447 mg • Cholesterol: 84 mg • Sugar: 1 g
Final note
If you try this casserole, consider rating the recipe or leaving feedback on what worked best for you. Small adjustments—like adding extra peppers for heat, swapping pepper jack for cheddar for milder flavor, or using rotisserie chicken for convenience—make this recipe versatile and easy to adapt to your tastes.
