Week Night Yum Yum: Quick Roasted Chicken, Baby Potatoes and Broccoli

 

 

I love my a good roasted chicken, but with 3 little ones and finishing up school for the year, I still have to do weekly dinners on the faster side. A trick I learned was to get a whole chicken, but have the butcher break it down for me into the separate parts. They have fancy knives and do it in nanoseconds, cutting down on my prep time too (pun intended). I use the same seasonings I work with for a traditional roasted chicken recipe, and the separate portions cook faster too, making this a very feasible week night meal.

 

To make it even easier, because I love me a "one-pot" type situation, I add baby potatoes right in the bottom of the pan with the chicken. They soak up the gorgeous flavor and juices from the chicken sitting on top, so the chicken does the seasoning job for me. They come out super tender and flavorful this way, and you can serve potatoes and chicken in one scoop directly to plate. I added some steamed broccoli for an easy and healthy veg, and a small side salad if you like and you're done!  

Quick Roasted Chicken with Baby Potatoes and Broccoli
1 whole chicken, cut into parts (have your butcher do it) -- you want 2 breasts, 2 thighs, 2 legs, 2 wings
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
herbs de provence (about 1 Tablespoon is great)
baby potatoes -- washed and scrubbed then patted dry
olive oil
broccoli florets (fresh or frozen)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Take the chicken and season all over with salt, pepper, and herbs de provence to taste.

Take the potatoes and place in a roasting dish large enough to contain the chicken (I used a simple Pyrex lasagna dish here). Drizzle a little olive oil and toss to coat well. The oil will help prevent the potatoes from sticking (and burning) to the bottom of the pan. Season with a small pinch of salt and pepper -- remember, they'll get a lot of seasoning from the chicken during cooking too. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes in one even layer. Drizzle a little bit more olive oil right on top of the chicken -- this will help it brown and get golden.

Roast in oven until cooked all the way through, about 35 minutes (depending on your oven's strength). The chicken should be golden brown, skin crispy, and juices to run clear when pierced. Potatoes should be fork-tender.

While the chicken is finishing up roasting, simply bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add your broccoli to the water and cook for 5 minutes, until they turn a bright color and are your desired tenderness (having a 6 year old about to lose a tooth and a 16 month old with barely any has me cooking our veggies a bit longer than I normally would; cook your broccoli less for a crunchier texture). Remove from water and shock in an ice bath if desired (literally a bowl of cold water with ice in it to stop the cooking process).

Serve chicken with potatoes and a side of broccoli.