Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fall Veggies | Fall Recipes

Coming off a two-week east coast trip, you’d think that the weather here in Chicago would be similar to what I experienced. Instead, I’m still somehow adjusting to a 30 degree temperature change. My last day in Boston was 80 degrees, my last day in Washington DC was 70 degrees and this weekend, we had a 10 minute blizzard in Chicago. Yes, snow in October! It's not unheard of but not usually this early. With that said, comforting dinners have been front of mind lately and nothing says cozy fall dinner like a roast chicken. Except, who has time for a whole roasted chicken on weeknights and more important, who wants to carve it? Not me, that’s for sure. Instead, for quick(er) dinners, I love picking up a whole chicken cut up from the grocery store or bone-in chicken thighs, our favorite. Dark meat is much more flavorful than white meat and it's much friendlier since it doesn’t dry up as easy.

Roasting chicken is my favorite way to cook it. I love getting a crispy, browned skin in a skillet before letting it finish in the oven. The chicken gets a deeper flavor as it develops and it’s an easy way to get a hearty meal on the table. Pair it with roasted veggies and you’ve got yourself a winner! Today’s recipe features fall veggies: beets, red potatoes, and broccoli. I have been on a serious beet kick this fall if you haven’t noticed. It started with a Roasted Beet & Goat Cheese Salad and most recently continued with Pan-Seared Pork Chops with Roasted Root Veggies. I love their color and sweeter flavor. Speaking of color, the red potatoes will look a little extra red in this recipe because of the color from the beets. They almost look more like apples which is funny since apples wouldn’t be too bad in this recipe now that I think about it…

Anyway, this dinner isn’t quick but it gives you the same experience of a whole roasted chicken with less labor and in less time. The flavors are incredible, especially with the skin-on chicken thighs and a few simple herbs pull it all together. I had intended for this recipe to come together in the cast-iron skillet but eight chicken thighs and this many veggies was way too much for one skillet to handle all on its own. Instead, if you prefer baking it all in the same dish, place the veggies onto the baking sheet first and top with the chicken thighs. Just make sure that your baking sheet can handle all that veggie and chicken goodness!

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Fall Veggies
Ingredients:
¼ cup Parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp. Basil dried
1 tsp. Thyme, dried
8 Chicken Thighs, bone-in and skin on
2 tbsp. Butter
3-4 Beets, cut into wedges
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled
3-4 Red Potatoes, cut into wedges
1 small head of Broccoli, cut into pieces
3 Rosemary Sprigs
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
1 - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Mix the parsley, basil, and thyme together in a small bowl. Tuck the herb mixture under the skin of the chicken thighs and season them with salt and pepper.

2 - In a cast-iron skillet (or large ovenproof skillet), melt the butter over high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook 6-8 minutes until the skin gets golden brown and crisp. Flip and sear the other side as well. Remove the chicken thighs to a baking sheet and drain any excess fat in the skillet.

3 - Reduce the heat to medium. Add the beets, garlic, and potatoes. Let cook for 10-12 minutes until they begin to soften and the potatoes begin to get a little crispy. Add the broccoli and mix together. Season with salt and pepper.

4 - Place a sprig of rosemary in the veggies and one on each side of the chicken. Put the chicken on the bottom rack of the oven and the veggies in the cast-iron skillet on the top. Bake 25-30 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the veggies are tender. Serve.