Incredibly satisfying sweet potato casserole complete with juicy chicken breast, cauliflower, easy homemade honey mustard sauce, and cheddar cheese! A crazy flavorful and nourishing weeknight dinner the whole family will love. Packed with protein, veggies, and complex carbs all in one--a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Plus it makes plenty for leftovers!
Dinner is serrrrrved. Wow, the rate at which I could not stop shoving forkfuls of this cozy casserole in my face is unprecedented. Slow it down, woman!
You know those dreamy honey mustard chicken salads with cheddar cheese? That nostalgia is precisely what inspired the flavors of this recipe. Sweet potatoes are a delightful (somewhat unexpected?) pairing with sharp cheddar, creamy honey mustard sauce, and tender bites of chicken.
We're casserolin' into flavor-packed, wholesome dinner ideas this year with bold flavors we already know we want to have for dinner again next Thursday. Be sure to face-plant into my Chicken, Broccoli, and Rice Casserole sans soup next or my Cheesy Zucchini Casserole for veg goodness. !
The low down on VIP ingredients
- Sweet potatoes: I developed this recipe with sweet spuds as the star of our show for their delish flavor, heartiness, and nutrition of course. Measure after chopping since they vary so much in size. No need to peel. In the words of Ina, "how easy is that?"
- Chicken: I use breast here because I honestly don't love chicken thighs (I know, sorry!) but thighs could be used as well; just know they may take longer to cook. Most recipes call for 1 pound but I love using 2 pounds because I know it'll last us a couple nights!
- Greek yogurt: My secret weapon for tang, creaminess (and protein!) to the honey mustard without the need for mayo.
- Dijon and lemon juice: Lots of it for marinating the chicken and creating a super flavorful base--don't skip 'em!
- Honey: I use this Kirkland organic raw honey from Costco. Know that this meal doesn't eat sweet by any means; it's super balanced with all the acid.
- Cheese: This really adds that extra something something (just like my Chicken Enchilada Casserole!). Creamy, zippy, cheesy goodness. I think gruyere would be delish here too but I always have cheddar on hand.
Let's make it!
Bonus points that this feeds a crowd and gets better with age. Like a fine wine.
Storage
This meal makes amazing leftovers; I swear it tastes the best the next day! It will last for up to 5 days in the fridge in an air-tight container.
You could also freeze it before or after baking. How fun! (If freezing before, let it thaw overnight in the fridge before baking).
I hope you're as obsessed with this fun recipe as I am!
I'd be super grateful if you'd take a moment to leave a quick star rating and review below. Comments mean the world to me and your honest feedback helps me to continue to share recipes you'll crave!
Fun fact: honey mustard appears in some of the world's oldest cookbooks, known to make an appearance in ancient Rome and Egypt! Ok, now let's eat.
Print
Healthier Honey Mustard Chicken Sweet Potato Casserole
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Incredibly satisfying sweet potato casserole complete with juicy chicken breast, cauliflower, easy homemade honey mustard sauce, and cheddar cheese! A crazy flavorful and nourishing weeknight dinner the whole family will love. Packed with protein, veggies, and complex carbs all in one--a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Plus it makes plenty for leftovers!
Ingredients
For the honey mustard:
- ⅓ cup Dijon mustard
- ⅓ cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage 2%)
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 large lemon)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
For the casserole:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 5 cups diced sweet potato (about 3 sweet potatoes)
- 4-5 cups cauliflower florets (from 1 small or ½ large head cauliflower)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp coarse kosher salt
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- ⅓ cup chopped green onions
- rice, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F. Chop chicken into small pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, make honey mustard: whisk Dijon, yogurt, oil, honey, lemon juice garlic powder, salt and pepper until smooth. Add chicken and toss to combine. Set aside to marinate. (This can be done up to 24 hours ahead!)
- Chop sweet potatoes and cauliflower and place in a 9x13 in baking dish. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp kosher salt and ½ tsp smoked paprika. Toss to combine. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove dish from oven and toss veggies with a spatula. Dump in chicken with all remaining marinade plus the cheese. Stir well to combine and bake for another 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Let casserole rest for 10 minutes before serving to soak up some of the juices. Garnish with with green onions and dig in, serving over rice if desired (my favorite way)!
Notes
The casserole will have juices at the bottom when it's done; that's normal!
Ellen says
This recipe sounds amazing and I'd like to try it on friends who are coming for lunch during the holidays. But, will you clarify whether the chicken should be pre-cooked or raw when cut up and put into the honey mustard marinade? Also, do you think broccoli would be a good substitute for the cauliflower, or would it get too mushy?
Thank you!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Raw! Hmm I haven’t tried it with broccoli, broccoli cooks faster than cauliflower so it may get mushy. Let me know if you try!
Norma Travis says
What vegetable can be subbed for cauliflower. My husband is a picky eater and will not eat anything with cauliflower in it. We both like chicken casseroles and sweet potatoes. I am also diabetic so I do need vegetables that my husband will eat. I am also cooking for just two people. I am looking forward to making the casserole that you featured on hummusapien.com. Thank you
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Hmmm I haven't tried with a different veg and don't know which ones your husband will eat, but you could try green beans? It may be saucier if you use less but that's ok.
Norma Travis says
Thanks for your reply. I will try green beans maybe even some pintos with the green beans. I had not thought of that. I will try it later this week.
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Enjoy! Bell peppers could also be nice 🙂
Emma says
This was divine!! I omitted the honey in order to feed it to my 9 month old, and replaced with about half maple syrup and a drizzle of BBQ sauce. Will definitely be making again and again, thank you!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Wowww I want to try this version next, sounds incredible!!
Kristen says
This was oh so delicious!! I was excited to come home after work and dig into the leftovers. Will be making this on repeat 🙂
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Yayyy thrilled to hear it, thanks Kristen!
Emily O says
This recipe was a HIT with my very picky family. I appreciated that it was very easy to make while being super flavorful and full of good for you stuff. I added peas bc they love them and it came out awesome. And Alexis is right - it tastes even better the next day as leftovers which is hard to imagine bc right out of the oven is incredible!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Peas are such a smart addition! Yayyyy this comment totally made my day, Emily 🙂 thank you for letting me know!
Dylan says
Yummmm! Such a good recipe, and easy enough to make on weekdays too!
Alexis Joseph, MS, RD says
Thank you so much, Dylan!