Roasted Chicken Thighs with Harvest Vegetables and Apples

Serves 4

You can use any cooking apple in this recipe, but our favorite is Granny Smith. They hold their shape well when exposed to heat and we like how their tartness balances out the sweetness of the dried cherries and sweet potatoes.

Prep: 15 minutes

Broil/Roast: 30 minutes

Total: 45 minutes

• 1¼ to 1½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs
• ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 cups trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts
• 3 small sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• ¼ cup no-sugar-added dried cherries
• 2 medium cooking apples, quartered, cored, and chopped

Preheat the broiler.

Place the chicken thighs, skin side up, on one half of a large rimmed baking pan. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Broil 5 to 6 inches from the heat until the skin is lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan and place on a wire rack. Set the oven temperature to 425°F.

Add the sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and 2 sprigs of the rosemary to the other half of the baking pan in an even layer. Drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Toss to coat. Return to the oven and roast, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring the vinegar just to boiling. Boil gently, uncovered, until the vinegar is reduced to ½ cup, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the dried cherries and the remaining sprig of rosemary and cook for 1 minute longer. Remove from the heat; let cool until ready to serve.

Add the apples to the vegetables. Roast until the internal temperature of a chicken thigh registers 175°F and the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes.

To serve, remove the rosemary sprig from the balsamic sauce and spoon over the chicken.