Maple and Sage Chicken with Butternut Squash
EASIER
GLUTEN-FREE
Makes 6 servings
Not only does the chicken start out frozen, the butternut squash and pearl onions do, too. It adds up to an absurdly luscious dish for a fall evening. This would also make a great dinner for the holidays or Thanksgiving, particularly if you’ve got family members who don’t like turkey. Have mashed potatoes (here) at the ready.
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
Six 8-ounce frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 cups frozen butternut squash cubes (do not thaw)
½ cup frozen pearl onions (do not thaw)
¼ cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
½ teaspoon table salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
1. Position the rack in the center of the oven; heat the oven to 375°F.
2. Pour the oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish; tilt the dish to coat the bottom with the oil.
3. Place the chicken breasts in a single layer in the baking dish. Scatter the squash and onions over and around the chicken.
4. Whisk the maple syrup, vinegar, sage, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a small bowl until uniform. Drizzle over the top of everything.
5. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.
6. Uncover and toss the vegetables a bit. Continue baking until the squash is tender and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a couple of the breasts registers 165°F, about 20 minutes longer. Cool in the baking dish on a wire rack for 10 minutes before serving.
Voilà! Before you prep the ingredients for even moderately complicated recipes, fill muffin tin indentations with paper muffin cups, then fill these with measured spices and small, dry ingredients for the dish at hand. (Wet ingredients like canned chipotles in adobo sauce or prepared horseradish will stick to the paper.)