Chicken tray bakes are easy mid week meals (note that this is a new revelation) which you can easily throw in the oven and then fluff around for an hour while the oven looks after everything. I love these kind of recipes where I can multi-task while knowing dinner is cooking away and I can get on with other things. If you're a regular reader you'll know I'm more of a pasta girl than chicken and potatoes kinda girl. Now don't get me wrong, I do enjoy chicken and potatoes but give me a big bowl of pasta any day!
Tristan on the other hand LOVES chicken and potatoes. I could spend hours making hand made pasta with a slow cooked ragu and ciabbatta made from scratch but chicken and potatoes would still win. Of course he would enjoy the hand made pasta and tell me that he loved it but I know all too well when he actually loves eating something... it's like when you're a kid and you get your favourite food and the excitement beams out as you try and shovel another mouthful in an already full mouth. That's Tristan, when I serve chicken and potatoes.
Every week when I ask him what he feels like for dinner this week, trying to get some inspiration, this is how the conversation normally goes...
Every week when I ask him what he feels like for dinner this week, trying to get some inspiration, this is how the conversation normally goes...
'What do you want for dinner this week?'
'Can we have that chicken and potatoes tray thing you cooked last week again?'
'Again?'
'Yeh it was really good'
'Umm maybe...' *scrunches face*
'Well why did you ask me then?!?'
'Ok ok, we'll have a chicken tray bake but it'll be different than last time'
'I'm sure it'll still be amazing'
*rolls eyes at him*
The way to his heart is chicken and potatoes.
So of course I made a chicken tray bake this week. Sometimes it's what ever I can find in the fridge but this week I found a recipe called Hit 'n' Run traybaked chicken by Jamie Oliver from his cookbook Save with Jamie. It sounded perfect to me until I realised when I started throwing everything into the tray that there was no potatoes in it... uh oh I thought... do we even have any potatoes? Thankfully there were three potatoes floating around with the onions so I chopped them up small and added them to the tray with the chicken, tomatoes, onion, garlic, capsicum with the rest of the ingredients and threw it all in the oven. Ah ha done for an hour or so!
Time to throw my feet up and relax.. ha! If only there was that much time during the week :)
This recipe is really really tasty, I'll admit it's another recipe thats not going to win the pretty award but by golly it's good. The garlic cloves go all soft and sweet and the tomatoes almost slow roast and all the natural sugars come out and give the whole dish that humble slow roast taste.
There is only one thing I can say is...
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!!!
Hit 'n' Run traybaked chicken.
Serves 2
(Recipe adapted from Save with Jamie by Jamie Oliver)
4 skinless and boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 red capsicum, chopped into 2 inch pieces
3 medium potatoes, chopped into 1 inch chunks
4 cloves of garlic, skin on
2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 red onion, cut into wedges
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
1 small handful of fresh oregano, leaves washed and picked
- Preheat your oven to 200C or 400 F.
- Throw everything (yes everything!) in a large baking tray (roughly 25cm x 30cm) and give it a good mix. Make sure it is all evenly spread out then bung it in the oven.
- Bake for 1 hour - 1hour 15 min. Check your potatoes and chicken are cooked through then serve with a simple green salad or some crusty fresh bread.
This is such a lovely dinner idea, I can't wait to try it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing.
Hi Norah! Thanks so much :) I'm glad you liked it!
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