I don’t mean to point out the obvious, but where I live (Iowa), it’s still pretty cold despite the fact that spring has officially arrived. After a long, cold winter, we’re all ready for warmer temps so we can get outside, am I right? I also start thinking about changing up my go-to recipes, bringing in the grilled meats and vegetables and scrapping the luscious comfort food I always crave in the winter. But, on “in between type” nights like we’ve been having, when I crave the lighter, fresher foods of spring and summer, but when the thermometer tells me I still need warming meals, it gets difficult to decide what to make!
One of my favorite go-to recipes for nights like this is a very simple roasted chicken with vegetables, which uses one pan, a variety of vegetables, and fresh herbs to satisfy cravings all around. Not only does it smell delicious when roasting, it warms body and soul while still feeling light and healthy.
Enjoy, and let’s hope the temps warm up soon!
Recipe Overview:
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
Brown chicken in oil.
Cut up sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, and garlic.
Add vegetables to the pan and sprinkle with salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary (I forgot the herbs when I made it but added them later, which is why they aren’t shown here!).
Place chicken pieces on top of vegetables and roast.
Cut up zucchini and cauliflower. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil.
Add vegetables to pan on top of chicken and roast some more.
Done!
Add thyme and rosemary to the vegetables and toss to coat.
Divide among serving plates and enjoy (this photo doesn’t show the herbs).
Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
Yield: 6 servings
Nutrition Info (per serving): 303 cals, 31 g pro, 26 g carb, 8 g fat, 88 mg cholesterol, 2 g sat fat, 6 g fiber, 575 mg sodium
Ingredients:
3 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (breast halves, thighs, wings, back, and/or drumsticks)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2- to 2-inch pieces (about 2 medium)
4 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 stalks celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary or oregano
1 medium zucchini, trimmed, halved lengthwise, and cut crosswise into 1-inch slices
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
Method:
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Leave the skin on the chicken (we’ll remove it later). Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper. In a 5- to 6-quart oven-going Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add chicken pieces, in batches if necessary. Cook until chicken is well-browned, turning once halfway through cooking. Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving drippings in the pan. Turn off the heat.
2. Add sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, and garlic to the same pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon of the salt and 1/4 teaspoon of the pepper. Toss to coat with the pan drippings. Sprinkle with half the thyme and half the rosemary. Lay the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables, overlapping as needed.
3. Roast in the oven, uncovered, for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine zucchini and cauliflower. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
4. Spoon zucchini mixture over chicken in pan, spreading to an even layer. Continue to roast, uncovered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (breast meat registers 170°F and dark meat registers 180°F).
5. Transfer vegetables to a serving bowl and transfer chicken to a serving platter. Remove the skin from the chicken pieces before serving. Drizzle chicken and vegetables with the cooking juices from the pan. Sprinkle vegetables and chicken evenly with the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme and 1 teaspoon rosemary. Toss vegetables to combine. Enjoy!
