Dinner Cupcake

Here is a fun way to serve barbecue chicken and mashed potato—in the form of a cupcake.  It not only looks pretty, but also allows me to hide vegetables; in this version I tossed in mushrooms and onion.  There is an array of vegetables that would work well…broccoli, cauliflower, corn, and spinach to name a few.  It’s a great way to use leftovers!

My group of little kids love this presentation. 

Dinner Cupcake

1 cup finely diced mushrooms (I like button or baby bellas)

1/2 cup finely diced onion

1 1/2 cup finely diced cooked chicken

about 2 cups mashed potato

1/3 cup honey barbecue sauce

1 heaping teaspoon flour

1/8 tsp. salt 

dash of pepper

olive oil

water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Preheat a medium size skillet on medium heat.  Coat bottom of skillet with olive oil.  Add mushrooms, onion, salt and pepper.  Cook until tender, about 8 - 10 minutes adding a splash of water if the content sticks to skillet.  Reduce heat to medium low.  Sprinkle flour over mixture, stir for about 1 minute.  Add barbecue sauce and water.  Stir to combine.   Blend in chicken and remove from heat.

Place six paper muffin cups on a small cookie sheet (filled cupcakes will be hard to remove if placed in muffin tins).   Distribute filling equally among each cup.  Handle gently to help muffin cups retain their shape.  Scoop mashed potato into a plastic bag, twist the opening closed, and cut a half inch opening off the tip of one corner.   Squeeze about 1/3 cup of potato through the half inch opening in a swirling motion over the chicken filling in each cupcake.  Bake 8 – 10 minutes.