Loaded Potato Chicken Casserole

Mmmmm... this was yummy!  I love my Pinterest, I found a recipe for Loaded Potato & Buffalo Chicken on Cook Lisa Cook. Which inspired me to create Loaded Potato Chicken Casserole!

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
5 medium to large potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes (I left the skin on)
NOTE: You basically need enough potatoes to cover the bottom of a 9x13 pan
1/3 cup olive oil
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 TBS. freshly ground pepper
1 TBS. paprika
2 TBS. garlic salt

Topping Ingredients
2 cups Colby Jack cheese
1 cup crumbled bacon
1 cup diced green onion

Preheat the oven to 500F.  I know this seems a little hot but this high temp is simply to cook the potatoes and create the crusty potato that you want! 

In a mixing bowl mix together the olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika & garlic salt, this is the sauce.  Cube the potatoes and put them in the sauce and stir it to coat.  Using a slotted spoon, take the coated potatoes and put them in a greased 9x13 pan.  Using the slotted spoon helps to leave behind the sauce in order to use it to coat the chicken.  Slide the potatoes into the oven. 

The original recipe calls for the potatoes to be in the oven for 45-50 minutes but I didn't find it necessary to cook them that long.  You are going to stir the potatoes every 10 minutes.  So while your potatoes are cooking for the first 10 minutes cut your chicken and place them into the mixing bowl and coat them with the remaining sauce. Stir your potatoes. 

During the second 10 minutes, cook your bacon.  To prepare the bacon to be cooked I simply use my kitchen shears and cut the bacon.  Cook the bacon.  Drain the bacon.

KITCHEN TIP: I never pour grease down my garbage disposal... I know, I know that is basics 101... but I also don't want to keep a can with grease in it on my counter or under my sink... it just doesn't appeal to my sense of kitchen organization.  So I take a piece of foil and line a bowl that my strainer will fit in, and place the strainer on top of the foil.  Once the grease has cooled and solid I simply wrap up the foil and toss it into the trash.

Stir the potatoes.  I typically leave my bacon in the strainer and grate the cheese and dice my green onions, mix them together and by the time I am done with that my bacon is cool enough to add to the topping mix.  Toss it all together.  Pull the potatoes out of the oven.  Immediately turn the oven down to 400F. 

Place the chicken on top of the potatoes, then top it with the cheese mix.  Slide your casserole back into the oven for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.  This is important because if your chicken pieces are too big they won't cook and you could be serving raw chicken. 

Serving the dish with ranch or sour cream really sets off the meal. ENJOY!!!