Have you ever been so busy that you forgot to come up with a plan for dinner?
Let me guess, silly question?
Well it happened to me A LOT when we were living in our one-bedroom apartment this past winter. It’s a humbling thought too considering I make the time to create a hold-your-hand type of meal plan for YOU every month!
As a family, we had too many balls up in the air at the time. Since my husband was at work and the kids are at school (not that they can do what needed to get done anyway), much of the responsibilities fell on my shoulders.
I was overwhelmed beyond belief on most days (and I wish I had thought of the Ultimate Detox Bath sooner!) and every single day without fail, 5pm came too soon. I’d find myself in a scramble to come up with dinner – something that could be cooked in one pan, that didn’t require special kitchen equipment AND something that the family would recognize.
Then on one EXCEPTIONALLY busy day, the dinner hour came and I opened the fridge to find “nothing.”
I’m sure this has happened to you too, right? The fridge isn’t entirely barren, but nothing really stands out at you as desirable for a meal, or even edible at times?
That’s what my fridge looked like, but since we weren’t buying much food, there really truly wasn’t much in there. Hot sauce, mayo, a couple of cheese sticks, pickles, oranges and random vegetables were pretty much it.
It was like some sort of evil magic trick, trying to come up with a nourishing meal out of condiments and food scraps. I was at a loss, but the family still had to eat and going to the store wasn’t an option.
So I pulled out the potatoes, quartered them and roasted them in the oven.
I pulled out the last few carrots from the fridge and shredded them and put them on top. I diced the last bit of celery and when the potatoes were somewhat crispy, I put both the carrots and celery on top.
The dish needed protein, so I dug around the freezer and found a lone bag of shredded chicken hidden behind the bagels. I threw it on the floor (to break up the chicken – we had no microwave) and somewhat evenly covered the celery.
Finally, I pulled apart the cheese sticks and did my best to cover the chicken. The whole pan went back into the oven.
When the cheese was bubbly and slightly browned, I pulled it from the oven and let the family decide what condiment they wanted on top – BBQ sauce, ketchup or hot sauce.
Two bites later, the comments started rolling in.
“Mom, this is so good!”
“Mom, can you make this again?”
“This is really good honey; can we do this again with blue cheese on top too?”
And that’s how this One-pan Buffalo Chicken Potatoes dish was born.
We’ve had it several times since then, changing the veggies slightly, trying different cheeses and playing around with different sauces (adding Homemade Ranch Dressing or Homemade Buffalo Sauce is exceptionally good). One thing is for sure – it’s a crowd-pleaser every time!
Buffalo Chicken Potato Nachos
These buffalo chicken potato nachos will have the whole family asking for seconds! This versatile recipe works with what you have in the refrigerator, so you’ll save money AND have an easy, satisfying dinner.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2–3 lbs potatoes (any)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- salt & pepper to season
- 2 large carrots, shredded
- 2 stalks celery, finely diced
- 1 cup shredded chicken
- ½-1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or Monterey jack)
- 3–5 oz blue cheese
- hot sauce (optional)
- ranch dressing (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425F.
- Cut the potatoes so they’re about 1-2″ in size and spread them into a single layer on a baking sheet. It’s okay if they touch, but you don’t want them stacked on top of each other.
- Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- Roast in the oven for 35-45 minutes, until the potatoes are medium golden brown.
- Reduce the oven to 400F.
- Cover the potatoes evenly with the carrots, celery, and chicken, in that order.
- Top with the cheeses and place back in the oven until the cheese melts and is bubbly, 10-15 minutes.
- Serve with hot sauce and/or ranch dressing, as desired.
Notes
- Line your baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for a crazy-fast clean-up.
- We’ve had leftovers reheated in the microwave AND re-toasted in the oven. The potatoes lose some of their crispiness in the microwave, so the oven is preferred, but the microwave will work in a pinch.
- You can halve this recipe for an easy appetizer or make it as-is for a main course (pair with a salad if you have big eaters). It’s a fun option on game day!
- Be sure to really pack those potatoes on the baking sheet – they shrink a bit while cooking. If you don’t, your family will eat the whole thing and not leave a single portion left over for lunch! Trust me, you want leftovers…
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 707
Additional Recipe Notes
Line your cookie sheet with aluminum foil for a crazy-fast clean up.
We’ve had leftovers reheated in the microwave AND re-toasted in the oven. The oven is preferred, but the microwave will work in a pinch.
You can halve this recipe for a great appetizer, or make it as-is for a main course (add a salad if you have big eaters).
Be sure to really pack those potatoes in – they shrink a bit while cooking. If you don’t, your family will eat the whole thing and not leave a single portion leftover for lunch!
What’s the best tasting meal you’ve ever made out of “nothing” in the fridge?
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Janelle
Yum! Had it again tonight! Always a winner! I love how it is easy and customizable too!
Emily
Was in a rut with meal planning and had the “there’s ‘nothing’ to eat” mindset this morning when I found this recipe. My husband gave his approval of the recipe! I used BBQ sauce on mine and he chose hot sauce. Super yummy and easy! Thanks for another great recipe!
Jen
This was one of those days…my two year old broke two dishes and then dumped the eggs on the floor after returning home with some groceries. Ugh! I just wanted something easy to make for dinner! This was great!!! The family loved it! Thank you!
Brittany @ Team Crumbs
Hello Jen!
We’re so happy that your family enjoyed this recipe!! Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Amber
You’re really inspiring to read how you came up with that good looking meal on the fly, and esp with very little to choose from. Btw, I’ve been visiting your blog for about a year now and have learned so much! Thanks for being so open and transparent
Tiffany
Aw, thank you so much Amber for these kind words! I’m so happy my own journey is helping yours! 🙂
Em
Thank you Tiffany….This looks great! My fridge is stocked but I’m going to make this tonight anyway to change things up! My go to when I have “nothing” is lots of onions, sauteed, then add in any veg I have ( seriously, anything from cabbage and celery, to carrots and zucchini) and add some cumin and smoked paprika. Serve that loaded southern veg concoction over rice and Walla!!! If you’re lucky enough to have salsa and other garnishes your fam will think you planned and cooked all day!
Karen @ Team Crumbs
Hi Em!
Thanks for sharing with us! We hope you enjoy!
Savannah
I always HAVE a dinner plan, I’m just not very good at actually USING it…oops… 🙂 There are definitely days I feel like there’s “nothing to eat.” Looks like you’re much more creative than I am on days like those. This looks so delicious. I’ll be trying it next time I’m stuck with no dinner ideas! Thanks for the recipe!
Veronika
Sounds good to me! 🙂
Wanda
This is exactly what I faced this morning in my fridge. Thanks for the rescue!!!