Baked Chicken and Potatoes

Last week I came across an Instagram reel for baked chicken and potatoes and it looked really good. I made the recipe today and it was incredible! I made a few changes to the original recipe - my changes are reflected below. In the recipe print preview, I changed the ingredient amounts to be enough for 4 chicken thighs. I also used dried herbs because I unfortunately rarely have fresh herbs on hand. I used baby gold potatoes and cut them in half, the juice from half of a lemon and some white wine (I didn't measure either of them).

I prepped everything in the early afternoon and then refrigerated it in a bowl until after I picked my boys up from school - it makes for a very easy weeknight meal! I used my Le Creuset 7-qt. Signature Roasting Pan which fit everything well. The chicken thighs and potatoes took 45 minutes to bake and then I put them under the broiler on low for an additional 3 minutes - everything was perfectly cooked. The only thing I'll do differently next time is make more of them!

I served this with homemade drop biscuits because I know my boys love those. If I ever make the chicken by itself and leave out the potatoes, I would make jasmine rice as a side and serve the extra delicious juice on top of the rice. This chicken was incredible and I will definitely be making it over and over again!

Baked Chicken and Potatoes

Recipe adapted from Cucina by Elena

 

This one-pan recipe combines tender chicken, crispy potatoes, and fresh herbs in a savory olive oil sauce. Easy, flavorful, and perfect for any occasion!

 

4 chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on

16-ounce or 24-ounce bag petite gold potatoes, cut in half

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 teaspoon dried parsley

1 teaspoon dried thyme

1 teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon paprika

¼ cup olive oil

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 Tablespoon white wine

1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

½ teaspoon coarse black pepper

 

 

Preheat your oven to 425°. Lightly oil a large baking pan or baking sheet to prevent sticking. You can also use a large oven safe baking dish.

 

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, onion, parsley, thyme, oregano, paprika, olive oil, lemon juice, white wine, salt and pepper. Add the potatoes and mix well. Add the chicken thighs and toss everything together until the chicken and potatoes are evenly coated with the seasoning and olive oil. If you’re making this ahead of time, at this point you can refrigerate it for a few hours.

 

Spread the chicken thighs and potatoes evenly across the prepared baking pan. Ensure the chicken is skin-side up for crispiness.

 

Place the pan in the oven and roast for 45-60 minutes. Check that the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°, and the potatoes are golden and fork-tender. For extra crispy skin, broil for the last 2-3 minutes.

 

Remove the pan from the oven and let the dish rest for a few minutes. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh thyme if desired.

 

Enjoy this flavorful, easy-to-make dish for any occasion!

 

NoteS:

Use a paper towel to pat the chicken dry before seasoning for crispier skin.

Cut the potatoes into uniform pieces to cook evenly.

Spread everything out in a single layer to allow proper roasting and crisping.

For golden, crispy skin, broil the dish for 2-3 minutes at the end of roasting.

Ensure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° for perfect doneness.

Let the dish rest for 5 minutes after baking to lock in juices and enhance flavor.

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie + Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

Tonight's recipe is a double - a Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Recipe from one blog (claimed to be healthy because of the crust recipe on the website) and a Buttery Flaky Pie Crust Recipe from another blog (a top and bottom crust recipe that I'm sure is not as healthy as the one on the other website but was perfect for a chicken pot pie). I made this tonight and I loved it, so I wanted to post these recipes together so I remember next time exactly what I did.

I love chicken pot pie, but I'm lactose intolerant so I haven't had it in years because it is usually made with dairy. This recipe uses almond milk so I wanted to give it a try, and it was delicious. I had my parents over for dinner and they both enjoyed it a lot too (my dad loves chicken pot pie as well). My husband wasn't too fond of the celery but liked everything else. Personally I thought the filling needed a bit more salt, but I also added more chicken and vegetables to the amounts than the original recipe called for so that might be why.

I have never been good at working with pie dough but this recipe was pretty easy to make. I mixed the dough last night and refrigerated two discs. This morning I boiled the chicken, shredded it, cut all the veggies and cooked the filling. About an hour before I wanted to bake the pie, I rolled out the bottom crust, put the filling in, rolled out the top crust and put it on. I crimped the edges, brushed the top with egg wash, made a few slits in the top and popped it in the oven (on top of a baking sheet, just in case anything spilled out but it did not).

The pie plate I use is a little bigger than your average pie plate, about 10.5" wide instead of 9", so I added a bit more chicken, veggies and almond milk to the filling recipe. This pie fed 4 adults with 3 pieces left over.

This is the perfect fall or winter dinner and as a bonus, it can even be made ahead of time. The pictures below are not the best (taken with my phone rather than my camera) but I will try to get better pictures the next time I made this.

Healthy Chicken Pot Pie

Recipe courtesy Well Plated by Erin

                       

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

10 ounces chopped baby bella mushrooms

1 cup diced carrots (about 3 medium)

½ cup diced celery (about 1 large stalk)

½ cup diced onions

1½ teaspoons garlic powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

¼ cup all-purpose flour

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2 cups cooked and shredded boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces or 2 small breasts)

½ cup frozen peas

1 Tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

1 prepared pie crust (dairy free if needed)

1 egg (lightly beaten with 1 tablespoon water to create an egg wash)

 

 

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly coat a 9-inch pie dish with baking spray (if you are not using a bottom crust). Set aside.

 

Place the chicken breasts in the bottom of a large pot, then season them lightly with salt and pepper. Give each breast a nice sprinkle. Cover the chicken with 1 inch of water. Place the pot on the stove and bring the water to a boil. Once the liquid is boiling, reduce the heat and let simmer until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F on an instant-read thermometer or is no longer pink in the center, about 8 to 16 minutes, depending upon the size and number of chicken breasts that you are poaching. A 10-ounce chicken breast will need to simmer for about 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the chicken from water and let it rest until cool enough to handle. Shred chicken – I find that the chicken is the easiest to shred apart while it is still slightly warm.

 

Heat a large Dutch oven or similar deep, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil to the pan. Once hot, add the mushrooms and cook for 8 minutes, until mushrooms are beginning to brown, stirring occasionally. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until the mushrooms have browned more deeply and the carrots begin to soften, about 3 additional minutes.

 

Sprinkle the flour over the top of the vegetables and cook for 2 minutes. Slowly pour in the almond milk, adding a few splashes at a time, stirring constantly. Bring to a low boil, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Continue to let it bubble until thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken, peas, and thyme.

 

Spoon the chicken mixture into the prepared pie dish.

 

Roll the pie dough into a circle large enough to cover your dish. Brush the edges of the pie dish with the egg wash, then lay the dough over the top so that it overhangs the sides. Trim the overhang to a ½ inch larger than the edge of the dish. Gently press the dough onto the sides of the dish so that it sticks, then brush all over with the remaining egg wash. With a sharp knife, cut 3 slits in the top.

 

Bake until hot and bubbly on the inside and the crust is deeply golden, about 25 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes. Serve hot.

 

 

NOTES:

The filling can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months (let thaw overnight in the refrigerator). Add the crust just before baking.

This recipe tastes best the day it is made because the crust is the most crisp, but you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave or oven.

To make the recipe vegetarian, substitute an additional 2 cups of chopped vegetables for the chicken. The pot pie will still be delicious and hearty.

To make gluten free, use your favorite gluten free pie crust.

 

Homemade Buttery Flaky Pie Crust

Recipe courtesy Sally’s Baking Addiction

 

This recipe is enough for a double crust pie. If you only need 1 crust for your pie, cut this recipe in half OR freeze the other half per the make ahead tip instruction below.

 

2½ cups all-purpose flour (spoon & leveled) plus more as needed for shaping and rolling

1 teaspoon salt

6 Tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed

2/3 cup vegetable shortening, chilled

½ cup ice water

 

For best results, chill all ingredients before using. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl and chill them.

 

Add the chilled and cubed butter and shortening to the chilled flour and salt mixture.

 

Using a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal (pea-sized bits with a few larger bits of fat is OK). A pastry cutter makes this step very easy and quick.

 

Measure ½ cup of water in a cup. Add ice. Stir it around. From that, measure ½ cup water since the ice has melted a bit. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps. I always use about ½ cup of water and a little more in dry winter months (up to ¾ cup). Do not add any more water than you need.

 

Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Cut dough in half. Flatten each half into 1-inch thick discs using your hands.

 

Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 5 days.

 

When rolling out the chilled pie dough discs to use in your pie, always use gentle force with your rolling pin. Start from the center of the disc and work your way out in all directions, turning the dough with your hands as you go. Visible specks of butter and fat in the dough are perfectly normal and expected!

 

Proceed with the pie per your recipe’s instructions.

 

NoteS:

Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: Prepare the pie dough through step 4 and freeze the discs for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using in your pie recipe.

Shortening:  I use between 2/3 and 3/4 cup of cold shortening in this dough. Lately, I find 2/3 cup (which is 10 Tbsp + 2 teaspoons) works best.

Salt: Use regular table salt. If using kosher salt, use 1¼ teaspoons.

 

Chicken Italian

Chicken Italian is one of my favorite family meals. My mom and aunts made it for special occasions when I was younger - graduation parties, baptism, first communion and confirmation parties, prom dinners, etc. It takes a while to prepare and is so delicious. It is one of those dishes that brings back a lot of memories every time I eat it and I've always considered it a special meal.

I wanted to prepare a meal for my aunt and her family and this came to mind. I had not made this in so long that I had trouble figuring out how much of each ingredient I would need to fill a 9x13 and two 8x8 pans with chicken tenderloins (I used tenderloins instead of cutting chicken breasts into nuggets). I used a little more of the broth/wine mixture than the recipe calls for because I wanted to use the whole can of broth, and I also like extra juice to spoon over the chicken when serving it. To refresh my memory in the future, below is what I used, which would also fill two 9x13 pans.

• 3 sections of a pack of fresh boneless skinless chicken tenderloins from Costco (32 tenderloins, approx. 3 lbs.) *these packs come with 6 sections. I froze the other 3 sections to use later on.
• 4 eggs
• Giant brand plain bread crumbs
• 24-ounce container of whole white mushrooms from Costco (16 ounces would have been OK, but I wanted to use the whole container from Costco)
• 14.5-ounce can chicken broth (approx. 2 cups)
• 16-ounce bottle white cooking wine (approx. 2 cups)
• Muenster cheese slices from Costco

Yesterday I cleaned the chicken and marinated it overnight in the eggs. This morning I cleaned and sliced the mushrooms. Today while my kids were napping I sautéed the mushrooms and breaded the chicken and fried it. I laid everything out into pans, divided the mushrooms between them and poured the broth/wine mixture over everything. I left one 8x8 pan out for tonight's dinner and wrapped the other two pans in plastic wrap and foil and froze them - those will be cooked next week. The Muenster cheese slices go on towards the end of baking, but that is the only thing left to add.

This is a great meal to make ahead of time for parties or if you want to make a meal for someone else, or even just to have an easy dinner of your own. All you have to do is thaw it, bake it, and add the cheese. I like to serve this with plain spaghetti and sautéed spinach, but any sides you like will work well.

Chicken Italian

 

This is a great recipe for dinner parties, graduations parties.  Everything can be done in advance, frozen and baked before serving.  Add cheese when baking – do not freeze with the cheese.

 

8 chicken breasts, skinned, deboned and cut into bite-size pieces

4 eggs

Fine bread crumbs

Olive Oil or Canola Oil

Pint of fresh mushrooms

3/4 cup chicken broth (homemade or canned)

3/4 cup white wine

Muenster cheese

 

Skin, debone, and cut chicken breasts into bite-size pieces. Marinate over night in 4 beaten eggs.

 

Next day, roll chicken pieces in fine bread crumbs. Fry in oil to a light brown.  Place chicken in a single layer in a 9” x 13” casserole.  Sauté fresh sliced mushrooms in oil or butter.  Place mushrooms over chicken.

 

Combine chicken broth and white wine. Pour over chicken and mushrooms. Top with sliced Muenster Cheese.  Cheese can be added 10 minutes before you remove it from the oven.  This method prevents cheese from getting too brown and crusty.

 

Bake at 350º uncovered for 30 minutes.

 

Can be prepared a day in advance and refrigerated. Remove from refrigerator and bake as indicated above.

 

FREEZING:

Complete above steps, except for baking.  Freeze, thaw, bake, serve.

 

Can be frozen after the chicken has been browned. Freeze chicken in layers separated by plastic wrap.  Complete remaining steps when you are prepared to serve. 

Chicken Salad

I'm not much of a salad person, but eating sandwiches every day has gotten old and I need to switch things up. In my attempt to eat a little healthier I remembered that when I was pregnant with my twin boys, I made up a chicken salad recipe that I loved. I knew I had a photo of it saved on my laptop under a folder entitled "cravings" which also included pictures of steaks, hamburgers, and cheesesteaks. This salad was the only healthy thing I craved during that entire pregnancy! Luckily I wrote down what I put in the salad at the time, because it's been a long time since I've made it and my memory is terrible. I hope to make this again soon once I have all the ingredients.

Chicken Salad

1 rotisserie chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 bunches of red grapes, sliced in half

2 bunches of spring onions, chopped

Handful of sliced almonds

Olive Oil

Fresh Lemon Juice

Salt & Pepper

Arugula lettuce

Shaved parmesan, romano & asiago cheese

Mix chicken, celery, grapes, spring onions and sliced almonds together, and then mix with olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper. When ready to eat, put the chicken salad on top of arugula lettuce and top with shaved cheese. Enjoy!

Kid Friendly Italian Chicken Fingers

I love any dinner that I can prepare ahead of time, especially one that I can just stick in the oven close to dinnertime. Today I prepped Giada's Kid Friendly Italian Chicken Fingers while my boys were napping. This recipe is very similar to Ree Drummond's Chicken Nuggets recipe which I often make (I always make them as chicken tenders though), except for a few things - Giada's recipe has parmesan mixed in with the breadcrumbs and her recipe is baked whereas Ree's is fried. In both recipes, you cover the chicken in a flour mixture first (I find it easiest to do this in a ziploc bag), then dip it in egg, then in a breadcrumb mixture. My husband loves Ree's recipe when I make it so I was curious to see how he liked this one. I thought it was delicious. He thought it was a bit dry (I baked them for 15 minutes so next time I will try a little less time) and liked Ree's recipe better. I will still try this one again and see if I can win him over on it, but you really can't go wrong with either recipe!

Kid Friendly Italian Chicken Fingers

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentis

1½ pounds chicken tenders

1 Tablespoon salt, divided

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

¾ cup of all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

¾ cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs

½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Olive oil, to drizzle

¾ cup of store-bought or prepared marinara, to serve

Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 450°.

Season the chicken tenders evenly with a teaspoon of salt.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt. In a second medium bowl, whisk together the eggs. In a third medium bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and Parmesan. Dredge the chicken in the flour and then into the egg mixture. Allow any excess egg mixture to drip off and coat the chicken in the breadcrumb mixture. Arrange the breaded chicken in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake until golden and cooked through, about 13 to 15 minutes.

Warm a bowl of marinara in the microwave or on the stovetop.

Arrange the chicken on a platter and serve warm marinara on the side.

Yield: 4-6 servings.

Baked Tender Chicken Thighs

My sister Maria sent me this Baked Tender Chicken Thighs recipe a while ago and I was recently going through recipes in my email and found it. This is a great recipe that you can prepare ahead of time (for me, that means when my kids are napping!) and then just stick in the oven later. Add a veggie and a starch and you're all set! This was easy to make and delicious - I'll definitely be making it again soon!

Baked Tender Chicken Thighs

Recipe courtesy valentinascorner.com

                       

3 pounds chicken thighs, skinless and boneless

3 Tablespoons olive oil (or Canola oil)

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons table salt

¼ teaspoon ground pepper

1½ teaspoons Italian seasoning

¾ teaspoon ground paprika

In a bowl, combine olive oil and minced garlic. Layout chicken thighs and coat with oil mixture (on both sides).

Prepare the seasoning: In a bowl, combine the salt, pepper, Italian seasoning and paprika.

Season both sides of chicken with the seasoning. Transfer chicken thighs to a baking dish. Cover with foil. Set aside to marinate at least 2 hours (*or see note).

Bake at 375°F for 45 minutes. Remove foil and broil for 8-10 minutes (at same temp), until tops of thighs are crispy.

Yield: 6 servings.

Note: Marinating at least 2 hours will give best results. If you don't have two hours, still bake the chicken; it will still be great.

Chicken thighs ready to marinate for 2 hours before baking