Although the title may be a mouthful, this dish is anything but complicated! Two pans (a skillet and a large shallow roasting pan) are all you will need to make this ‘dinner party worthy’ meal a success. Besides being full of beneficial nutrients, this Maple-Mustard Chicken with One Pan Roasted Veggies and Crispy Kale is also family-friendly and easy enough to make on nights you want a home-cooked meal.
The inspiration for this dish came from a night out with my sister and her husband. Because this was the first time the adults had been able to get out without the kids in tow in a very long time, we settled in to one of my favorite restaurants in Des Moines (Le Jardin, in case you’re local or in town for anything!) and savored each bite of food. It was lovely, and one of our favorite dishes (we each ordered something and did the passing plate thing so we could all try everything) was this mustard slathered chicken with sweet potatoes and hmmm????. By the end of the night (because we had stopped for dessert at Crème Cupcake ““ another absolute ‘must try’ if you haven’t been there), we were all a bit foggy on what made up the rest of the chicken dish. Since then, the chef has already changed the menu (one of many reasons I love this restaurant!) so I wasn’t able to look it up to see what other components were in the dish as I tried to recreate it.
With kale in season and abundant as ever in produce departments, I wanted to add kale to the chicken and sweet potatoes, but I wanted it cooked instead of made into a salad. I also didn’t want to rely on a third pan to cook it, knowing I would already need a pan for the chicken and one for the potatoes. With a large shallow roasting pan and trusty ole’ parchment paper, I was able to get the job done with just one pan. The kale crisps up into kale chips on one side of the pan while the shallots and sweet potatoes roast on the other side of the pan. It’s a win-win because you end up with two distinct textures with one pan and no mess, thanks to the parchment paper.
The chicken itself is about as easy as it gets and, using the same cooking method as I use in this Pesto Veggie Stuffed Chicken recipe, the chicken turns out tender and juicy every time. The maple-mustard sauce uses just three ingredients and cooks in just 1 minute in the same skillet the chicken is cooked in. It’s a snap and adds so much flavor to this dish!
On top of everything else that makes this recipe special, I love the fact that it is super-charged with energy-boosting, health-promoting foods my kids will eat. When I can get a healthy dinner like this on the table without a lot of fuss, you can bet I will be making it over and over!
P.S. If you don’t love kale chips, try making this Hand-Wilted Kale Apple Salad with Honey-Roasted Pecans to serve with the chicken and roasted sweet potatoes instead. It will taste great!
How-To Photos for Maple-Mustard Chicken with One Pan Roasted Veggies and Crispy Kale:
Thin shallot wedges go on one side of a parchment paper lined shallow roasting pan. Roast for 10 minutes.
While shallots are roasting, cut up the sweet potatoes and mix the spices. Arrange sweet potatoes on top of shallots, add coconut oil and spices; mix. Put back in the oven.
While the sweet potato/shallot mixture roasts, start browning the chicken in a skillet.
Flip only when the bottom is well browned.
Turn off the heat and add water. Cover and cook until chicken is no longer pink.
While chicken cooks, prep the kale. Add the kale along with remaining spice mixture and coconut oil, to the pan beside the potato mixture; spread kale to as thin of a layer as possible so all will crisp up well.
Bake until kale is crisp and lightly browned.
Mix sauce ingredients – there are only 3!
Remove chicken from skillet when it’s done. Add sauce ingredients; cook and whisk for 1 minute.
Slice the chicken and arrange everything on plates. Spoon sauce over chicken.
- 1 large shallot, cut into thin wedges (about ½ cup)
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups torn fresh kale*
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 1 ½ pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (3 to 4 pieces total)
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¾ cup water
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon Dijon or coarsely ground mustard
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a large shallow roasting pan** with parchment paper. Arrange shallot wedges in a single layer on one side of the pan. Roast, uncovered, for 10 minutes. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil over the shallot wedges. Top with sliced sweet potatoes. In a small bowl combine ½ teaspoon salt, paprika, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle about half the mixture over the potatoes. Toss potato mixture in pan. Spread to an even layer, keeping it to one side of the pan. Roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, start the chicken. In a large skillet heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Add chicken to hot pan. Cook chicken over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until bottom is well browned. Flip the chicken.*** Cook 4 to 5 minutes more or until bottom is well browned.
- Remove skillet from the heat. Carefully add the water. The water will steam a lot; add a little water quickly to the side of the skillet and pull your hand back. Once the initial steam goes away, you can add the rest of the water without as much steam happening.
- Return skillet to the heat. Bring water to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (internal temperature should be 165°F). Check pan occasionally to make sure the water hasn’t cooked off completely. If the water is almost gone, add more water, ¼ cup at a time, so there is always water in the pan.
- After sweet potatoes have roasted 20 minutes, remove pan from oven. Stir potato mixture. Arrange kale in a single layer on the other side of the pan (if needed, push potato mixture closer to the side to allow more room for the kale). Spoon oil over kale in small mounds. Sprinkle kale with remaining paprika mixture. Bake, uncovered, 8 to 9 minutes or until kale is crisp and just starting to brown, stirring the kale and spreading back to the single layer halfway through bake time.
- When chicken is done, transfer chicken to a cutting board, reserving cooking juices in pan; cover chicken with foil to keep warm. Make sure there is about 1/3 cup of cooking juices in the skillet; if not, add additional water. Add thyme, mustard, and syrup. Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat for 1 minute or until sauce is just boiling and well combined.
- To serve, slice chicken crosswise. Spoon potato mixture evenly onto four serving plates. Top with sliced chicken. Arrange crispy kale around edge of plates. Spoon pan sauce over chicken.
- *Make sure the kale is well dried after washing it.
- **I use a half sheet pan for this. It’s important that the sides of the pan be no taller than 1 to 2 inches or the kale will not get crisp.
- ***When browning chicken in a skillet, it’s tempting to flip the chicken too early, which can cause the chicken to stick and tear when flipped. The key is to wait until the chicken is well browned before flipping or moving it at all. If the chicken doesn’t lift off the pan easily when you go to flip it, it may mean it’s not ready; simply let it brown 1 to 2 minutes more and try again.
- 4 servings
- 425 cals, 43 g pro, 29 g carb, 15 g fat, 124 mg cholesterol, 10 g sat fat, 6 g fiber, 809 mg sodium
