Savory Baked Chicken & Potato Dinner

 

I am a huge fan of sheet pan dinners and other meals that can all be cooked in the one dish. If I can cut back on the washing up, I am all for it, and if it happens to be delicious on top of it all, so much the better!

This savory baked chicken and potato dinner is just one such meal.  Chicken and vegetables all cooked on one sheet pan or in a 9 by 13 inch baking dish, altogether, as one, to perfection!  Count me in!

 

Admittedly I eat a lot of chicken. It is my protein of choice.  I can't think of any way of cooking chicken that I wouldn't personally like.

Some people shy away from cooking boneless, skinless chicken breasts because they are afraid of them turning out dry and tasteless. That can certainly be the case.  The main culprit/cause of this is over cooking.

 

 

If you follow my instructions carefully and do exactly as I say, you will end up with perfectly cooked and moist chicken.  Timing is everything.

You will also end up with beautifully crispy roasted potatoes!  And everything tastes wonderful. Trust me on this. I have never lied to you before, and I don't plan on starting now. Anything else is simply down to a matter of taste!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE SAVORY BAKED CHICKEN & POTATO DINNER

Its all very simple really!  I bet you have all of it in your kitchen/refrigerator/freezer/larder right now! 

• 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (make sure they are not overly large as larger ones will take longer to cook. They should only be no more than 4 ounces in weight each)
• small red potatoes
• a medium sized cooking onion
• half of a medium sized red bell pepper
• salt and black pepper
• paprika (sweet, not smoked or hot)
• a bit of oil
• Dijon mustard
• flour
• grated parmesan cheese

 

I always buy my boneless skinless chicken breasts in the club pack, or at least a package holding 4 or more. I don't let the fact that there is only one of me in my home now prevent me from doing so.

I remove them from the package and then double bag them, individually, in zip lock baggies, pressing and removing as much air from the package as I can.

 

I then freeze them, layered in a larger zip lock baggie. No freezer burn and they keep for quite a while. I can remove as many or as few as I want or need to use. 

They are also really easy to defrost. I just stick the frozen breast (in the bags) into a bowl of cold water and leave it on the countertop for an hour or so, maximum.  They thaw out very quickly and because I have double bagged them, no water gets in!

 

I love Dijon mustard. Its practically the only mustard I use these days. It lacks the really vinegary flavor of traditional North American mustard and the harsh color.

It has a bit of a bite but it is not has hard as British mustard.  I just find it has a lovely spicy, well rounded flavor that I quite enjoy. I usually have it in my refrigerator in both the plain and the grainy forms.  

 

HOW TO MAKE SAVORY BAKED CHICKEN & POTATO DINNER

Its really simple to make this. I wash all of my vegetables and dry them off. Peel the onion, discarding the peel. No need to peel the potatoes unless you really dislike potato skins. 

I love potato skins. They are one of my favorite parts of the potato.

Just cut your potatoes into quarters (I had small potatoes and the quarters were about 1 inch in size, bite sized.)  Cut your onion into wedges.  Cut your pepper into slices.

 

These get tossed in a mix of oil and Dijon mustard in a bowl, along with a bit of seasoning if desired.  You spread them out on a baking sheet in a single layer. (Make sure you spray the baking sheet with some non stick baking spray.)

You will need to mix together some grated Parmesan cheese and paprika.  Some of this gets sprinkled over top of the vegetables and then they are roasted in the oven for about 15 minutes.

 

While they are baking you can get your chicken ready. If your chicken is really uneven, I would pound it lightly to even the sizes out so they cook uniformly.

You want to spread some Dijon mustard evenly over both chicken breasts, dust with flour and lightly season them with a tiny bit of salt and black pepper.

 

These then get popped into the baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet a the rest of the cheese and paprika mixture gets sprinkled on top.  Spray with some more cooking spray and bake for a further 15 to 18 minutes, maximum.

You will find that at the end of that time (unless they are really large pieces of chicken) that your chicken is cooked through, tender, moist and crispy and golden brown on the outside.

 

The paprika and cheese, not to mention the Dijon mustard, give everything such a lovely flavor. Nicely spiced without being overly so.

The potatoes are nice and crispy and the vegetables almost jammy.  The chicken crisp and moist.  You really don't need much else, but I like to cook a green vegetable to go along side. It adds a bit of color to the plate and some delicious fiber!

Another good thing about this recipe is that you can substitute boneless pork loin chops for the chicken if that is what you have. They will cook to perfection in about the same time and be just as delicious!

I think you could also use chicken thighs, but they would need to be cooked for about 5 to 7 minutes longer, again until the juices run clear.

I love meals like this one.  Quick, easy to make,  filled with delicious flavor and all in one.  You really can't go wrong!!

Savory Baked Chicken & Potato Dinner

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 35 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This easy dinner for two is a very simple make. You end up with crisp golden potatoes, peppers and onions and a crispy coated perfectly cooked piece of juicy chicken. There is nothing about this that you can't fall in love with!

Ingredients

• 2 TBS grated Parmesan cheese
• 3/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 1 TBS oil
• 2 TBS Dijon mustard, divided
• 1/2 pound small red potatoes, quartered
• 1/2 medium red pepper, trimmed, seeded and cut into trips
• 1 medium onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges
• low fat canola spray
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (each about 4 ounces in weight)
• 3 TBS plain all purpose flour
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400*F/200*C/gas mark 6. Spray a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Mix the cheese and paprika together in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Toss the potatoes, peppers and onions together in a bowl with the oil and 1 TBS of the Dijon mustard, and a bit of seasoning, mixing together well. Spread onto the baking sheet. Sprinkle half of the cheese mixture over top. Roast in the preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4. Season the chicken pieces with some salt and pepper brush the remaining Dijon mustard over top, dividing it equally. Dust with flour. Place in the baking dish with the potatoes and spritz with a bit of cooking spray. Sprinkle the remainder of the cheese and paprika mixture over top of the chicken.
5. Bake for a further 15 to 18 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the potatoes crisp, the chicken is golden brown and the juices of the chicken run clear when pricked with a fork in the thickest part.
6. Divide the chicken and vegetables between two heated plates and serve immediately.

Notes:

If desired you can replace the chicken with 2 boneless pork loin chops, each about 1/2 inch thick.

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