Chicken Sweet Potato Hash

This recipe is an example of how adaptable the original chicken and veggie hash recipe can be. I wanted to use up some sweet potatoes and portobello mushrooms, and was in the mood for comfort food. Add a little bacon, rotisserie chicken, and fennel...and there you have it: melt-in-your-mouth comfort food. Be careful with this one that the bacon doesn't overcook before adding the rest of the ingredients. If you already have cooked bacon on hand, just crumble it in with the veggies and chicken and saute it all in olive oil, coconut oil, or reserved bacon fat. You can really substitute whatever vegetables you have on hand, but it's especially good with squash or sweet potatoes. Saute the leftovers with a couple of eggs for breakfast. Yum!

Serves 4.

Ingredients
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped in 1-inch cubes
2 fennel bulbs, fronds and ends removed, sliced into 1/4-inch pieces
2 portobello mushroom caps, stems and gills removed, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 Tbsp coconut oil
4 cups shredded, cooked chicken
6 slices of bacon, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground fennel seeds or fennel powder

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Melt coconut oil in a jelly roll pan (you can also divide between two pans, if too crowded). Carefully remove the pan from the oven and add vegetables. Toss them in the oil, then sprinkle with salt, pepper, and fennel seeds or powder. Toss to coat.
3. Carefully return hot pan to oven. Roast sweet potatoes, fennel, and mushrooms until just fork tender, about 30 - 40 minutes.
4. In the meantime, cook bacon in a large skillet until just crispy. Spoon out all but about 2 Tbsp bacon fat from the pan and reserve for another use.
5. Add roasted vegetables to bacon and toss in bacon fat to coat. 
6. Add chicken and toss to combine. Saute mixture for 5 - 10 minutes or until heated through.
7. Garnish with fennel fronds before serving.