Baked Chicken Breast with Sweet Potato Mash and Broccolini
⏱ 15 min prep · 🍳 25 min · 🍽 2
The oven finishes the chicken breast while you handle the sweet potato mash and broccolini alongside — bench to table in under 45 minutes, with just two pans to scrub afterward. Slot it into the middle of the week, on the night you need a dinner that can handle someone arriving a few minutes late to the table.
Sweet potato is a supermarket staple year-round now, though it's cheapest and freshest through the cooler months — a dinner that earns its place in the autumn-to-winter half of the meal plan. Pick up the chicken and broccolini on the same shop as the rest of the week's fresh produce; both keep for only a day or two in the fridge, so shop on the weekend and cook it Wednesday.
Broccolini has a milder flavor than regular broccoli and goes down easier with kids who eye anything green with suspicion. Serve it as finger food next to the mash rather than stirred in, so everyone can decide for themselves how much to take.
Ingredients
- 2.000 stk kyllingbryst
- 2.000 stk poteter
- 30.000 ml smør
- 30.000 ml fløte
- 15.000 ml sitronsaft
- krydder (diverse)
- paprika
- 200.000 g brokkoli
Instructions
Skrell og skjær søtpoteter i jevne biter. Kok til møre, ca. 20 minutter.
Sil av vannet og mos søtpotetene med stavmikser. Bland inn smør og crème fraîche eller fløte.
Smak søtpotetmosen til med sitronsaft, salt og pepper.
Krydre kyllingbrystene med salt og pepper. Brun raskt i smør til det dannes en skorpe på begge sider. Spar smøret til urtesmøret.
Fullstek kyllingen i ovn på 180°C til kjernetemperaturen er 65°C, ca. 15 minutter.
Kok brokkolini i lettsaltet vann 2–3 minutter til den er mør med fast kjerne.
Rør finhakkede urter inn i det resterende smøret og smak til med sitronsaft.
Skjær kyllingen og anrett med brokkolini, søtpotetmos og urtesmør. Topp gjerne med friske urter.
This is the kind of dinner that earns a permanent Wednesday slot — the oven does the heavy lifting, so you're not stuck at the stove while everyone else winds down. Sweet potato mash is one of the more reliable ways to get vegetables into a picky eater, because the texture is soft and naturally sweet without the bitter edge raw greens can carry. Chicken breast, sweet potato and broccolini are all ordinary fresh-aisle items at any major supermarket, so there's no special trip required to pull this together. Once it's locked into a fixed weekday on the meal plan, the shop gets easier too — you know exactly what's going in the cart before you leave the house.
FAQ
Can I make the sweet potato mash the day before?
Yes, up to two days ahead — store it covered in the fridge. Reheat gently in a saucepan with a splash of extra cream or milk, since it firms up once cold. Avoid freezing it — sweet potato separates and turns watery after thawing.
Can I swap broccolini for regular broccoli?
Regular broccoli works fine in its place. Cut it into smaller florets and add three to four minutes of extra cooking time, since the stalks are thicker than broccolini's. Steam rather than boil for a texture that matches the mash better.
How do I adapt this for the youngest at the table?
Set aside a portion of the mash before salting the rest and serve it unsalted to children under two. Cut the chicken into strips or small pieces instead of whole slices, and put the broccolini out as finger food alongside the mash rather than stirred in — that way the youngest can choose what to pick up themselves.
Can I freeze the leftovers?
The cooked chicken freezes well for up to three months and thaws easily in the fridge overnight. Sweet potato mash changes texture in the freezer and turns grainy once thawed, so it's better eaten fresh or kept in the fridge for a maximum of two days. Reheat the chicken briefly in the oven or a pan after thawing so it doesn't dry out.
What can I serve alongside if the family wants more food?
Rice soaks up the herb-butter from the chicken well and stretches the meal without needing more meat. Boiled potatoes or a simple bread roll work too, especially if some family members eat more than others.
Which night of the week does this dinner suit best?
Put it on a Tuesday or Wednesday — it uses only a couple of pans and tolerates someone arriving a few minutes late to the table without the quality dropping. Buy the sweet potato and broccolini on the same shop as the rest of the week's fresh produce, since both are short-shelf-life items. Total cooking time is around 40 minutes, making it a natural middle ground between a fast weeknight throw-together and a slower weekend roast.