Got plans for today and won’t return till dinnertime? Going Christmas tree shopping? Last minute dinner guests? Who can’t use a beyond common, quick do-ahead or last minute meal at this time of year? This one is good enough for Sunday Dinner. Read along……..
The other day I was watching Ina Garten on her new series, “Cooking for Jeffrey”. She was showing a friend how to make a simple meal for a dinner party – Roast Chicken with Croutons and Arugula Salad (along with a signature-Ina mixed berry crumble). In this recipe she places the “croutons” on the bottom of the roasting pan to absorb all the drippings from the roasting bird. This reminded me of a dish my Mom used to make – a simple baked pork chop recipe where thick slabs of potatoes were placed on the bottom of the pan to cook in the juices while the pork chops baked. It was yummy. (Everything my Mom made was yummy – except for Baccala – sorry Mom :().
I decided to hybridize these two recipes and add a few accoutrements and make this one pot meal. It takes five minutes to prepare and the entire dinner is in one pot. If you have one of the cast iron Le Creuset covered casseroles (called a braiser), this is perfect for that. I still have plenty of Rosemary and Thyme outside my back door, which adorned the dish and will add tons of flavor.
Step 1: 
Step 2: 
Step 3: 
Step 4: 
Five-Minute-Prep Herbed Chicken and Grapes with Yukon Gold Potatoes
1 chicken, cut up into 8 pieces
2 large or 4 small yukon gold potatoes
3 shallots
1 head garlic
4 -5 fresh rosemary sprigs
4-5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bunch red seedless grapes
1/2 cup dry white wine
salt and freshly ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
Preheat oven to 375F. Brush a deep dish covered casserole with olive oil. A Le Creuset 3 1/2 qt. Cast Iron Braiser is perfect for this. (Don’t have one? Ask Santa! I use mine all the time!*)
Slice the potatoes into 3/4″ slices. Arrange around the bottom of the pan as shown in photo #1 above. Arrange the rosemary sprigs over. Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
Place the chicken pieces around the pan on top of the potatoes as shown in photo #2 above. Arrange the shallots around the pan. Place the garlic head in the center. Sprinkle washed grapes and thyme sprigs over all as shown in photo #3 above. Add the white wine. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle a little olive oil over all.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 3/4 hour. Remove cover of pan and let bake another 15-20 minutes or until chicken in nicely browned and thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reaches 165F.
Violå! Dinner’s done. Now go on out and pick out your tree!
*the raisers are on sale in Wm. Sonoma. Or look at TJX or Home Goods where you can often find them.