Pan Roasted Chicken with Zucchini

This is the no recipe, recipe!  Although this recipe can be adapted for different meats and veggies, I ended up with chicken and zucchini in this dish because zucchini is plentiful this time of year and it’s plain yummy. There is no secret, I love chicken.  It’s such a versatile ingredient and it’s inexpensive compared to other types of meat.

Believe it or not, the day I cooked this recipe, I had a hard time finding boneless/skinless chicken thighs at a good price.  I ended up going to 3 different stores…1 did not have any chicken thighs, 1 had bone-in thighs at a ridiculously high price and the 3rd had them with bone-in at $.89/lb.  I went with the 3rd option and deboned the thighs. All the skin and bones went into my Quick Cooker for a chicken stock.  I could have made this recipe with the bone in but at the Council on Aging, I need to be able to make the main meal in about 30 minutes, so boneless was the way to go.  At home, I would have just gone with the bone in.

As I mentioned in the video, I normally serve this with mashed potatoes which are my favorite (yum!!!) but I was feeling a little lazy and did not want to peel potatoes for 30 people (I know, I know…stop being so lazy!!!). So opted for rice.  It did come out great with the rice but really would have been better with the potatoes.

Well, here’s the recipe I adapted.  By the way, if you do want one of my cool…amazing Non Stick Stainless Skillets which helps make an amazing pan sauce with easy cleanup, just click the link.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Zucchini

1 tbsp canola oil
  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2 tbsp Dijon Mustard
  • 1   small onion
  • 1 pkg-8 ounces mushrooms
  • 1 pint cherry tomatoes
  • 2 medium zucchini
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ⅓ cup white wine or chicken broth

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F . Heat the oil in a Stainless Steel Skillet or Stainless Non Stick Stainless Skillet over medium-high heat for 3–5 minutes.
  2. Season both sides of the chicken with salt & pepper. Place the chicken in the pan and sear for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken over and sear for 1 additional minute. Remove the chicken from the pan.
  3. Meanwhile, slice onion & mushrooms. Cut the tomatoes in half. Cut the zucchini into 1″.
  4. Add the onions, mushrooms, minced or pressed garlic and salt to the pan. Saute for 2–3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to release the fond or little brown bits.
  5. Add the wine or chicken stock and dijon mustard. Simmer, uncovered, for 3–5 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by half.
  6. Add the tomatoes and zucchini to the pan and stir to combine. Place the chicken on top of the mixture and bake for 12–15 minutes, or until the chicken in cooked. If you use bone in chicken, increase the baking time to about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!

Leftover Chicken–What now?

bbq chicken sandwichI love chicken!!!  I love the price.  I love chicken’s versatility as an ingredient.  I love the leftovers I can have with a whole roasted chicken.  There are so many different meals I can make from one little (or big) roasted chicken.

This week I purchased a whole chicken for about $.89/lb.  It was reduced, so I needed to either cook it that day or throw it in the freezer.  I decided to cook right away.  Cooking quickly without heating up the kitchen was a must.  Butterflied grilled chicken was the answer.  It was fabulous and we ended up with leftover chicken breast.  My family prefers roasted dark meat chicken.  Needless to say, we had leftover chicken breast.

What to do with leftover chicken breast that is quick, easy and again, does not heat up the kitchen.   BBQ Chicken Sandwiches!!!!  Here’s what I did:

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches

Ingredients

  • 4 cups of shredded, cooked chicken meat
  • 1 to 1 1/2 cups barbecue sauce
  • 1 small sliced onion
  • 1 small sliced green pepper
  • 4 hamburger buns or buns of your choice

Directions

Sauté the peppers and onions.  Add the chicken and barbeque sauce and combine.  Once heated through divide the mixture among the buns.

What do you make with leftover chicken?  Please comment.  I would love to hear your ideas!