Butter-Basted Chicken with Candied Bacon Brussels Sprouts and Mashed Sweet Potatoes

This dish takes humble chicken breasts to new heights with a rich, buttery pan sauce and two irresistible sides. The Brussels sprouts and bacon get a sweet-savory upgrade with brown sugar, roasting until caramelized and crispy. Meanwhile, the chicken is basted in garlic herb butter, creating a silky pan sauce finished with sour cream and demi-glace. Served over velvety mashed sweet potatoes, this meal is pure comfort food perfection.

Every component comes together beautifully: the sweet potatoes are mashed with butter and scallion whites, then enriched with sour cream for extra creaminess. The pan sauce ties everything together and a sprinkle of chili flakes adds a subtle kick. It’s a restaurant-worthy dinner you can make at home.

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Ingredients

8 ounce Brussels SproutsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit ScallionsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 unit Sweet PotatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

4 ounce BaconView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Brown SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Chicken BreastsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Garlic Herb ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Demi-GlaceView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

6 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon Chili FlakesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 tablespoon Vegetable OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Salt to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Pepper to tasteView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with foil. Trim and halve Brussels sprouts lengthwise. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating white and green parts. Peel and mince shallot until you have 3 tablespoons.
2. Dice sweet potatoes into ½-inch pieces. Place in a large pot and cover with salted water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid, then drain. In the same pot, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add scallion whites and cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Add drained potatoes and mash until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat.
3. On the prepared baking sheet, toss Brussels sprouts with a drizzle of oil, salt and pepper; arrange cut sides down. Place bacon on the other side of the sheet; season with salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, sprinkle bacon with brown sugar and return to oven until bacon is crispy and Brussels sprouts are tender, 10-15 minutes more.
4. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through, 5-7 minutes per side. During the last 2 minutes, reduce heat to low and add garlic herb butter; let it melt and spoon over chicken to coat. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving the butter in the pan.
5. Add minced shallot to the pan with the reserved butter. Cook over low heat until softened, 1-2 minutes. Stir in demi-glace and ¼ cup water. Simmer until slightly thickened, 1-2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in 2 tablespoons sour cream (or 4 for 4 servings) and any juices from the resting chicken. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Slice chicken crosswise. Chop bacon into small pieces. Stir remaining sour cream into the mashed sweet potatoes; add reserved cooking liquid a splash at a time until creamy. Divide sweet potatoes and Brussels sprouts between plates. Top potatoes with chicken and sauce. Garnish chicken with scallion greens and Brussels sprouts with bacon. Sprinkle with chili flakes to taste.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use frozen Brussels sprouts?

Fresh Brussels sprouts work best for this recipe because they roast up crispier. If using frozen, thaw and pat dry thoroughly before roasting.

What can I substitute for demi-glace?

You can use 1 cup of beef or chicken broth simmered until reduced by half or a store-bought demi-glace concentrate.

Can I make this dairy-free?

Yes, substitute the butter with a plant-based butter, use dairy-free sour cream and omit the garlic herb butter or use a dairy-free version.