Winner, winner chicken dinner

jump to recipe

Yes, a winner. In a recent newsletter from NYT Cooking, I came across a recipe for Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Fennel. It sounded easy, used a vegetable combination I wouldn’t have  thought of and it had a tart and cheesy sauce that went over the entire dish.

In addition to the chicken you’ll need olive oil, salt, medium sweet potatoes, small fennel bulb, white wine vinegar, lemon (need zest and juice), Dijon mustard, garlic, black pepper, pecorino cheese. The recipe developer is Ms. Yewande Komolafe and she says you can substitute the sweet potatoes and fennel with other vegetables.

This is a one bowl, one pan meal. In a large bowl, you’ll drizzle olive oil over the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Next the sweet potatoes and fennel are also drizzled with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper and cooked on the sheet pan with the chicken. 

While the chicken is baking, white wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, mustard, garlic and pepper are added to a bowl. Olive oil is whisked in creating an emulsion and then the pecorino cheese is mixed in. The sauce is seasoned with salt and pepper.

To serve, the chicken is sliced off the bone and the vegetables are tossed with some of chopped fennel fronds and parsley. I placed baby spinach on the bottom of the plate, place the chicken on top and spooned the vegetables around the meat. I poured the pecorino vinaigrette on top. 

My husband and I loved this dish; it was so quick and easy to prepare, just under an hour from start to finish. The vinaigrette really pulled the whole dish together. The acidity of the vinaigrette combined with the salty and tang of the pecorino Romano cheese was flavorsome.

In reading comments by other readers, some used bone-in chicken thighs and cooked the meal in less time. Whichever cut of chicken you choose, this is a great weeknight meal.

In looking over my images on my phone today, it looks like I forgot to tell you about the cheesy Brussels sprouts my daughter brought to dinner on Thanksgiving. The recipe, Cheesy Brussels Sprout Bake, is from the website delish. For the recipe you’ll need bacon, butter, shallots, salt, cayenne pepper, heavy cream, sharp white cheddar and  Gruyère cheese. The recipe takes 15 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to bake.

What a rich a delicious side dish! The combination of ingredients made for a bit of creamy sauce. The bacon added saltiness and chewy texture and the cayenne added a bit of heat. 

So if you’re looking for something different to serve as a side dish for the holidays, you may want to consider this recipe.

---

​Sheet-Pan Chicken with Sweet Potatoes and Fennel
By Yewande Komolafe
From The New York Times Cooking website/app
 
Yield: 4 Servings
Time: 45 minutes
 
Note from Ms. Komolafe: “Don’t be afraid to substitute the sweet potatoes and fennel with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Serve the dish with a handful of leafy greens and a generous amount of the vinaigrette.”
 
2 ½ to 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (about 10 to 12 ounces each)
½ cup olive oil
 Kosher salt
2 medium sweet potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 1/4 pounds)
1 small fennel bulb, cut into 1-inch wedges, fronds chopped and reserved
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested, plus 2 tablespoons juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, grated
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper, plus more to taste
1 cup crumbled or grated pecorino cheese
¼ cup parsley, leaves and tender stems
4 cups leafy greens, such as baby spinach or torn kale (optional)

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, toss chicken with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and arrange on a large rimmed baking sheet, skin-side up.
2. In the same bowl, toss potatoes and fennel with 2 tablespoons oil. Season with salt and arrange in an even layer around the chicken.
3. Roast until chicken and potatoes are a deep golden brown and fennel is starting to caramelize at the edges, about 35 to 45 minutes.
4. As chicken cooks, combine vinegar, lemon zest and juice, mustard, garlic and 1 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl. Whisk in remaining 1/4 cup olive oil in a thin stream and stir in pecorino. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest. Toss the fennel fronds and parsley with the roasted vegetables.
6. To serve, cut the chicken off the bone and slice. Divide chicken and vegetables among plates. Serve with a handful of leafy greens if you like, and spoon the pecorino vinaigrette over everything.

---

sheet-pan_chicken_with_sweet_potatoes_and_fennel.pdf
File Size:	32 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---

---

​Cheesy Brussels Sprout Bake
From the website www.delish.com
by LINDSAY FUNSTON
December 24, 2018
 
Calories: 320
Yields: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
 
INGREDIENTS
5 slices bacon
3 tbsp. butter
2 small shallots, minced
2 lb. Brussels sprouts, halved
Kosher salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 c. heavy cream
1/2 c. shredded sharp white cheddar
1/2 c. shredded Gruyère
 
DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°. In a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat, cook bacon until crispy, 8 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate, then chop. Discard bacon fat. 
2. Return skillet to medium heat and melt butter. Add shallots and Brussels sprouts and season with salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 10 minutes. 
3. Remove from heat and drizzle with heavy cream, then top with both cheeses and bacon. 
4. Bake until cheese is bubbly, 12 to 15 minutes. (If your cheese isn't golden, switch oven to broil and broil 1 minute.)

cheesy_brussels_sprouts_bake.pdf
File Size:	42 kb
File Type:	pdf

Download File

---