Roasted Chicken with Brussels and Potatoes

While this looks plain and simple, this was a ridiculously good meal. Sometimes you have to go back to the basics–meat, vegetable, potato [I know a potato is a vegetable, but it stands alone in my mind in it’s starchy goodness].

I could have eaten my weight in braised brussels and the dijon mustard sauce. I even bought apple cider just to make it. Who never has apple cider on hand? This girl. These had to be the fattest chicken breasts I’ve seen in a long time [and I see a lot of chicken breasts…]. That’s half of one on a plate. Half. They stayed moist and tender thanks to some roasting in the skillet.

Speaking of hot skillets, you don’t want to see the awesome burn that’s healing on my right arm. Handles stay hot once they come out of the oven, boys and girls. And even if you’re trying to move quickly around the stove to keep things moving to keep the timing right, it doesn’t make it hurt any less. I promise [I need a bigger kitchen].

Inspiration: Cooking Light for the chicken and brussels; SixteenBeans for the potatoes

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 3/4 cup broth [I’ve fallen in love with Better than Bouillon in veggie lately]
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 12oz brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 3 medium red potatoes, cut into sticks
• Italian seasoning

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 450º. Line a baking sheet with silpat if you have one.
2. In a large bowl, toss the potato sticks with one tablespoon olive oil and Italian seasoning. I just tossed some on until they looked coated.
3. Spread on the prepared baking sheet and place in the oven for 30 minutes, stirring in between so they cook evenly.
4. While the potatoes bake, heat an oven proof pan on medium-high heat with a tablespoon of olive oil.
5. Generously season your chicken breasts before placing them in the pan. Brown both sides of the chicken, approx 3-5 minutes.
6. Place in the oven until chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear, 10-15 minutes.
7. Once chicken is cooked, remove it from the pan and keep warm.
8. Place the pan on medium heat.
9. Add in the cider and 1/4 cup of the broth, scraping the cooked bits of chicken off the bottom of the pan, until it comes to a boil.
10. Reduce heat to medium-low, and allow to simmer 4-5 minutes until reduced.
11. Whisk in the mustard and 1 tablespoon of butter.
12. In another skillet, melt the remaining tablespoon of butter with olive oil.
13. Add the brussels and saute 2-3 minutes until they start to brown on the outside.
14. Pour in the remaining broth  and cover. Cook until tender 5-7 minutes or until everything else is finished cooking.
15. Serve chicken with sauce, brussels, and potatoes. De-lish.