🍂🌻 Chili Champions & Backyard Cooks 🌻🍂🤠 Chuckwagon Recipe of the DayWednesday, October 28, 2026

🍁🍗 Southern Apple Butter BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet

Good morning, folks! 🤠❤️

Happy Wednesday, friends!

We're halfway through another beautiful fall week, and today I've got a delicious one-skillet supper that brings together some of the best flavors of autumn!

Have you ever cooked with apple butter? Well, friends, it's not just for biscuits and toast!

Today we're making Southern Apple Butter BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet!

Imagine tender, golden-brown chicken, roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions, and a sweet, smoky apple butter BBQ glaze, all cooked together in one cast-iron skillet.

It's hearty, budget-friendly, and perfect for a cool October evening.

And the best part? One skillet means fewer dishes to wash! 😄

Grab that cast iron, friends. Let's get cooking! 🔥

🍗 Southern Apple Butter BBQ Chicken & Sweet Potato Skillet

⏰ Prep Time: 15 minutes🔥 Cook Time: 35–40 minutes🍽️ Servings: 4–6

🥘 Ingredients

For the Chicken & Vegetables:

• 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ¾-inch cubes

• 1 large sweet onion, sliced

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

• Salt and black pepper to taste

For the Apple Butter BBQ Glaze:

• ½ cup apple butter

• ½ cup smoky BBQ sauce

• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, optional

• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon

• ¼ cup apple cider or chicken broth

🔥 Let's Get Cooking!

1️⃣ Get that oven ready!

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Place a large oven-safe cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat.

2️⃣ Season that chicken! 🍗

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

Season both sides with smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, salt, and black pepper.

3️⃣ Give it a golden sear!

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the hot skillet.

Sear the chicken for approximately 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown.

Remove the chicken and set aside. It will finish cooking in the oven.

4️⃣ Bring on those fall vegetables! 🍠

Add the remaining olive oil, diced sweet potatoes, sliced onion, and bell pepper to the skillet.

Cook for approximately 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add minced garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

5️⃣ Make that apple butter BBQ glaze! 🍎

In a bowl, whisk together apple butter, BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, brown sugar if using, cinnamon, and apple cider or broth.

Stir until smooth.

6️⃣ Bring everything together!

Nestle the chicken back into the skillet among the vegetables.

Pour the apple butter BBQ glaze over the chicken and sweet potatoes.

Turn the chicken to coat both sides.

7️⃣ Bake until tender! 🔥

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven.

Bake uncovered for approximately 20–25 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the sweet potatoes are fork-tender.

If the vegetables need additional cooking time, remove the chicken once done and return the vegetables to the oven.

8️⃣ Serve it up!

Spoon that delicious apple butter glaze over the chicken.

Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve right from the skillet!

Oh my goodness! Sweet, smoky, savory, and full of wonderful fall flavor! 🤠❤️

⭐ MawMaw's Chuckwagon Secret

🍎 Want that perfect sweet and smoky BBQ flavor?

The secret is using a good-quality apple butter!

Apple butter has a rich, concentrated apple flavor with warm spices that blend beautifully with smoky BBQ sauce.

And here's another little trick:

Don't add too much cinnamon!

We want just a hint of fall spice, not a dessert-flavored chicken supper.

If you prefer a little heat, add a pinch of cayenne pepper or a few red pepper flakes.

And remember, friends, chicken thighs stay wonderfully juicy when baked, making them perfect for this one-skillet meal.

🍽️ What Goes With It?

This skillet is practically a complete supper, but you can serve it with:

🌽 Warm honey-butter cornbread🫘 Southern green beans🥗 Fresh apple-pecan salad🥕 Roasted carrots🥖 Homemade dinner rolls

🍎 And for Dessert?

Old-Fashioned Cinnamon Apple Oatmeal Bars

Imagine a buttery oatmeal crust layered with tender cinnamon apples, brown sugar, and a golden crumble topping.

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or enjoy with a cup of hot coffee.

Now that's a delicious way to finish a Wednesday! ☕❤️

💜 Wednesday Chuckwagon Encouragement

A Little Sweetness Can Change the Whole Day

As I was thinking about today's recipe, something came to my heart.

Isn't it amazing how one little ingredient can change the flavor of an entire dish?

That apple butter adds just enough sweetness to balance the smoky BBQ sauce.

And friends, life can be a lot like that.

Sometimes all it takes is one kind word to change somebody's day.

One smile.

One phone call.

One unexpected act of kindness.

We never know what someone else is carrying.

Maybe they're struggling financially.

Maybe they're grieving someone they love.

Maybe they're facing a difficult decision or simply having a hard day.

And sometimes, the people who seem the strongest are the ones who need encouragement the most.

We may not be able to change someone's circumstances, but we can remind them they don't have to face those circumstances alone.

God gives us opportunities every day to show His love through the way we treat others.

So today, let's add a little sweetness to somebody's life.

Send that encouraging message.

Check on that neighbor.

Pray for that friend.

Share a meal with someone who needs it.

You never know when your simple act of kindness might be the answer to someone's prayer. ❤️

📖 Scripture for Today

Proverbs 16:24 (KJV)

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones."

🤠 Wednesday Chuckwagon Table Question!

Have YOU ever cooked with apple butter?

🍎 Yes! I love it in BBQ sauce!

🥖 Only on biscuits and toast!

🍗 I've used it on chicken or pork!

🥧 I love baking with it!

🤔 Never tried cooking with it!

❤️ I have a family apple butter recipe!

👇 Tell us in the comments!

And friends, we'd love to see what's cooking in YOUR kitchen!

Share your favorite family recipes, pictures of tonight's supper, chili creations, backyard BBQ favorites, cast-iron meals, and upcoming cook-offs with our Chili Champions & Backyard Cooks family.

Whether you're a cook-off champion or simply love making a good homemade supper, there's always room for one more at our table!

🍂🤠 Happy Wednesday, Friends!

May your kitchen be warm, your table be filled with good food, and your heart look for opportunities to share a little kindness wherever God leads you today.

Faith ⭐ Family ⭐ Friends ⭐ Food ⭐ Memories ❤️🍁🌻