No matter what I try, my family insists that they need three meals every day.
Three meals!
Thats three meal preps, three loads of dishes, three rounds of wiping toddler goo off the chairs…
Even though I love to cook, that adds up to a lot of time in the kitchen. Time I could be using in other constructive ways, or just managing my littles and maintaining some semblance of peace. To help keep things in balance, I indulge in fix-n-forget cooking several days a week and my current go-to is oven roasted chicken with vegetables. It’s simple, versatile, and (so far) my family loves it.
Oven Roasted Chicken and Vegetables
- 4 large chicken leg quarters (with skin)
- 4 medium potatos
- 4 carrots
- 1 lb brussle sprouts
- 1 tsp salt
- Non-stick cooking spray
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray roasting or cookie pan with non-stick cooking spray and lay out chicken, leaving space between the pieces for veg.
Cut carrots into chunks about 1×1/2 inch. Embrace a bit of un-uniformity here, its a good homey dish and still looks good a bit rustic. Place the carrots on the pan around the chicken (this might be the most important part of the instructions. If the carrots are not directly on the pan they will not be tender before the end of the cooking time).
Clean and halve the brussle sprouts. Then add them to the pan.
Cut scrubbed potatos into 1-2 inch cubes and place them on top of the other vegetables.
Spray the chicken and assembled vegetables with non-stick cooking spray and sprinkle with salt.
Place in your pre-heated oven and walk away for 1 hour. When you return, supper will be ready. I like to use my hour of waiting time to clean the kitchen and get a few end of day tasks done so I will have minimal cleanup to do while I’m trying to wrangle the littles into bed.
Now for the versitlity I spoke of earlier. Once you’ve made this dish a few times, you might want to start playing around with other vegetable combinations. Celery, green beans, pearl onions, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, and parsnips are all tasty options. However, don’t add quick cooking vegetables like green beans, cherry tomatoes, and broccoli until halfway through the baking time. I also think sweet potatoes would be a great addition, but my husband can’t abide even the smell, so I might never know.
Really, the only limitiations on this dish is what your family will eat and the size of your pan! What vegetables would you add?
Sissy Makes 