Deviled Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Kale a Sheet Pan Plan

It sounds crazy, but the culinary term “deviled” dates back to the 18th century. Seriously, it’s true: deviled dishes are older than American Independence itself… and now I can’t get the image of Alexander Hamilton eating a deviled egg out of my head; but this blog isn’t about deviled eggs, it’s about Deviled Chicken, with Sweet Potatoes, and Kale. Wonderful, right?

These days, the term ”deviled” most often describes a meal that is prepared with a sharp flavor, which, in this case, comes from chili powder and dijon mustard.

I got the inspiration for this super simple sheet pan meal from a Food Network Magazine, and, I must admit, it’s pretty awesome. Get the Step-by-Step recipe* below;

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4):
2 Sweet Potatoes
4 Chicken Breasts
1 Bunch Kale (approximately 6 cups)
3 tablespoons Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
1 tablespoon Unsalted Butter
1 and 1/2 tablespoons Hot Sauce

INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat your oven to 475 degrees. Brush a large baking sheet (sheet pan) with 1 tablespoon Olive Oil.

Cut the sweet potatoes into half-inch wedges.

Place all four chicken breasts on the oiled baking sheet. Season each chicken breast with salt and pepper, to taste. Then sprinkle them with 1/2 a teaspoon of the Chili Powder.

Place the sweet potato wedges around the chicken on the baking sheet. Drizzle the chicken and sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add a little salt to the potatoes, if you desire.

Put the sheet pan in the upper third of the oven, and let the chicken and potatoes roast for 25-30 minutes; until the chicken is lightly browned and the sweet potatoes have begun to soften.

Meanwhile, combine 2 tablespoons dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon hot sauce, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder in a small bowl.

Stir the ingredients together until combined.

In a separate, clean, bowl combine the 1 cup of panko bread crumbs with 1/2 tablespoon hot sauce, 1 tablespoon melted butter, and a pinch of salt.

Use a fork to mix the ingredients until they a well incorporated.

Now, it’s KALE TIME! But first you’ll need to remove the stems from the kale… I learned how to trim kale by reading a Fine Cooking Magazine article; “Kale stems are nearly impervious to tenderizing. That’s why the first step in preparing kale is trimming the stems. The aim is not just to trim the stems below the leaves, but also to remove most of the stem from the center of the leaf, where it acts like a supporting rib. To do this, lay a leaf upside down on a cutting board and use a knife to cut a V shape along both sides of the rib, cutting it free from the leaf.”

So, lay a kale leaf upside down on a cutting board and carefully cut a “V-shape” along both sides of the rib, cutting the rib/stem free from the leaf. Keep repeating this process until you’ve cleared the whole bunch of kale, or approximately 6 cups.

Then tear the kale leaves into bite size pieces.

*25 minutes after placing the sheet pan in the oven*

Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Move the chicken and sweet potatoes to one side of the sheet pan (creating room on the pan for the kale).

Coat the top of each chicken breast with the mustard mixture.

Top each chicken breast with a generous handful of the panko mixture, and lightly press on the panko to help it adhere to the mustard mixture.

Put the kale on the sheet pan beside the potatoes and chicken. Sprinkle the kale with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil.

Toss the kale in the olive oil… and season the kale with salt and pepper, if desired. (Housewife Hint: I didn’t season the kale, I like the natural flavor of kale.)

Beautiful, right? But not done yet. It needs to go back in the oven…

So, pop the sheet pan back in the oven; the kale will soften, and the chicken will finish cooking through. Roast the sheet pan for approximately 15 minutes, or until the temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees (measured with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken breast).

Now, serve it up on a pretty plate…

… and Enjoy!

Are you looking for another, even easier, sheet pan supper? Then you should try my Italian Chicken Sheet Pan Supper!

Did you love the subtle mustard taste of the deviled chicken? Well, you should try my Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce, it’s always an absolute hit!

Cook Long and Prosper!

Sincerely, the Uncustomary Housewife.

*Deviled Chicken Recipe Source: Food Network Magazine, September, 2017 (Volume 10, Number 7) “Sheet Pan Plan”, pg. 106.