Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Honey Mustard Chicken and Vegetables

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Omigosh! At the end of the month already. And the end of the 8^th year of me writing this February recipe extravaganza. It seems appropriate to finish with chicken since we eat so much of it.

At the end, and I never even got to share my Spinach Eggplant Lasagna, Garam Masala Chicken, Pasta Limone, Butternut Squash Bake, Sausage Bake with Potatoes and Brussels Sprouts, Herb-crusted Cauliflower Steaks, Drumsticks Rice and Beans, and, well, you get the idea. I have tons more one-pan meals I could have shared. Crazy, huh?

This is the time of the month, too, when I start thinking about what next February will be like. 29 Days next year! Wow! Do you have suggestions for me? If so, put them in the comments section. I have been tossing around some topics (I’m down to four possibilities), but I’d like to hear what you’d like to see on these pages.

And if you haven’t gone rummaging among the archives, this might be a time to do that, while you’re here, before you forget. Past Februaries have had 28 or more recipes for soup, eggs, chicken, appetizers, mini-desserts, recipes with few ingredients, weekly menu plans, and this month’s earlier one-pan meals.

Ready for the last meal of February? It’s a keeper! The zing of the mustard with the sweet honey is a nice flavor profile.

Honey-Mustard Chicken and Vegetables (serves 4)

4 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on

16 large brussels sprouts, halved

1 large bell pepper, cut into strips

1 small head cauliflower, separated into bite-size florets

Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup honey

¼ cup Dijon mustard

 

Set oven at 375 degrees. Prepare a large baking dish or baking sheet pan with light coating

of oil.

Prepare vegetables and put on baking pan, mixed or separated as I did. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Place chicken thighs, skin-side up on top of vegetables. Season with salt and pepper.

 

Mix well the honey and mustard. Coat all sides of chicken thighs, drizzling any remainder over the top of each thigh.

Bake for 50-60 minutes until chicken is brown and registers 165 on meat thermometer. Serve immediately. Crusty bread is a nice complement.

DH’s Rating: 4 ½ Tongues Up

“How did you like this dish?”

“The chicken was great, but I didn’t like the cauliflower. Too soft.”

“The Brussels sprouts were soft, too.”

“Yeah, but the texture was different. But, hey, it’s really good. The chicken was great.”

I’ll take that!

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Shrimp Rice Pilaf

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Are you enjoying this month of menus? If so, it would be a huge favor if you would share links to recipes you like on social media. Bloggers depend on readers. So please share the word and the recipes you especially enjoy! Thanks so much. Now, on to our regularly scheduled show!

You know how I’ve told you that you can serve some of these meals with leftover rice or noodles? Well, this recipe has noodles and rice built into it. That’s a nice principle to know. Some of the previous recipes this month could have used instant rice (or broken noodles) as an added ingredient, providing those extra carbs that some in your family crave.

I adapted this recipe (as is my wont), from Eating Well’s Rice Pilaf with Shrimp to make it even easier and faster by using pre-cooked shrimp and adjusting for our taste with extra green onions. My reason for using pre-cooked shrimp? That’s what I had in the freezer. Now, to be clear, raw shrimp is better and not that much longer to cook (once you peel and devein—not my fave job), so choose what you want.

Rice Pilaf with Shrimp (serves 4)

4 teaspoons olive oil

½ cup sliced green onions

¼ cup prosciutto, chopped

¾ cup noodles, broken into small pieces

¾ cup instant brown rice

¼ cup dry white wine

1 cup baby lima beans, frozen

1 ½ cups chicken broth

1 pound shrimp (if using frozen, thaw first)

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon dill

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and prosciutto and cook, stirring frequently, until onion are translucent, about 2 minutes.

Add noodles and rice, stirring often, until noodles begin to brown, about 3 more minutes.

Add wine, stir, and cook until evaporated, 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Add lima beans and broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes longer.

While noodles, rice, and beans are cooking, toss shrimp with remaining oil and lemon juice.

Scatter the shrimp in an even layer over the pilaf, drizzling remaining lemon juice and oil over the shrimp. Cover and remove from heat (if using pre-cooked shrimp. Cook 5 minutes more if using raw shrimp).

Remove from heat and let stand, covered for three minutes. Still in dill and season with pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread and a salad if desired.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

Him: “This was really good. Did you think so?”

Me: “Yes, I liked it, too. Different”

Him: “I don’t usually like lima beans, but they were different in this. 5 Tongues Up or whatever you want.”

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Parmesan Chicken

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Ready for more chicken? This is my penultimate chicken recipe for this month’s series on one-pan meals. I told you, we eat A LOT of chicken!

I like the simplicity of this meal. I can throw it together in minutes and get it on the table in 30 minutes or so. Fast meal and tasty. And all in one pan!

Parmesan Chicken (serves 4)

4 chicken thighs

4 long carrots cut in half longways and through the middle

8 small potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Massage the vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper them, and set aside.

Mix together more salt and pepper with the garlic powder, minced garlic, and parmesan cheese. Coat the top of each thigh with the mixture, covering sides and bottoms. Press into the chicken.

Place chicken in baking dish. Arrange the vegetable around the chicken.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until meat thermometer registers 165 degrees in the thickest part.

Serve immediately, dribbling pan juices over the chicken.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“This is a different way to have chicken. I like it.”

Oh, good. You’ll be seeing it again, then!

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Pecan-Crusted Salmon

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Like most Americans, we’re trying to get more fish into our meal rotation. Fish not only has all the nutrition stuff going for it, but it cooks quickly. And, while not quite as versatile as chicken, most folks don’t try many new things with fish so they get tired of it.

Years ago, at the Green Valley Grill in North Carolina, I had my first bite of Pecan-Crusted Trout. Delicious! Melt-in-the-mouth delicious. Linger-on-the-tongue delicious. So I had to give it a go myself. Here is one of the ways I now serve salmon. The problem I face is DH. He loves my ginger-orange-lemon grass-soy marinade for salmon so much, I have trouble getting him to venture out! But I persist!

I adapted this recipe for Pecan Crusted Oven Baked Salmon and it was wonderful! I think you’ll agree!

Pecan-Crusted Salmon (2 servings)

1 sweet potato, cut in coins

½ pound Brussels Sprouts, cut in half

10 baby potatoes, halved

1 piece bacon, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil for coating vegetables

Coarse sea salt and pepper to taste

2 salmon fillets

1 tablespoon butter, melted

1 garlic clove, minced

½ teaspoon dill weed

½ cup pecan halves, chopped fine

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.

After cutting vegetables, put sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and potatoes in a zipper bag with oil, sea salt, and pepper. Massage to coat.

Place vegetables on the baking sheet, leaving empty space for salmon later. Add bacon

pieces to top of Brussels sprouts.

Place in oven to cook while preparing salmon. Set the timer for 10 minutes.

Sprinkle salmon with sea salt and pepper and set aside.

Mix chopped pecans with butter, garlic, and dill in a small bowl.

When vegetables come out, place the salmon in the open space, top with pecan mixture, and put back in the oven.

Bake for 15-18 minutes until the salmon flakes easily.

Serve immediately. 

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“This is really good. I like the crunch of the nuts, that’s different. Very tasty. But, next time, can you make it the old way again?”

I must have given a look because he then said, “But it’s good to try something new, right?”

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Za'atar Chicken Chunks with Veggies

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Za’atar, pronounced zay’-ter, is a seasoning spice mixture used in Middle Eastern cooking as a condiment. Regional variants are sometimes a closely-guarded family secret. Generally za'atar contains sesame seed, thyme, oregano, and marjoram as the base for additions such as savory, cumin, coriander, fennel seed, sumac berries, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, rosebuds, and caraway. Pretty much what you want it to be, right?

Some nights you need like a flash dinner, you know. And chopping food into smaller chunks is your greatest secret for making that happen. This recipe comes together for a very fast weeknight dinner. Prep is just a few minutes and can be done ahead and refrigerated for roasting later. Serves three-ish. The only carbs are from the veggies, and you know how little that is! Eat as much as you want guilt-free.

Also, you can use the same technique with different seasonings to make different meals. So roast up a second pan at the same time and have it ready to serve for a super-fast dinner later in the week. This is a really versatile pan meal. You can make two pans at the same time. Eat one for dinner tonight and use the other pan in a different dinner later in the week.

This recipe uses za’atar, but try other seasonings. You could use cumin and make soft tacos from the other pan. Or seasoned with cumin, toss into a pot with diced, seasoned tomatoes for a quick chili. Or toss the veggies and chicken with salt and pepper, make a quick chicken gravy to mix in and serve over noodles for a super-fast meal later in the week. This is a wonderful combo that can be used in myriad ways.

Za’atar Roasted Chicken Chunks and Veggies (serves 3-4)

1 large breast (or two medium)

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon pepper, divided

2 tablespoons Za’atar seasoning (or Italian, tarragon, cumin etc.), divided

1 bell pepper, cut into strips

½ cup onion, sliced

1 cup mushrooms

1 zucchini, cut into coins

1 cup cauliflower florets

1 cup broccoli florets

½ cup grape or cherry tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line baking sheet with foil.

Prepare a large zipper bag with 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon za’atar (or other seasoning). Add ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Moosh to combine.

Cube the chicken in bite-size pieces. Add in chicken chunks and massage to coat. Remove from bag, put on a plate, and cover to refrigerate until ready to cook.

Add remaining oil, za’atar, salt, and pepper to same zipper bag. Mush to combine. Chop vegetables into big chunks. Add to bag and massage to coat.

Arrange chicken on baking sheet and put the vegetables all around the chicken chunks. Drizzle any remaining oil mixture in the zipper bag on the pan ingredients.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the vegetables show char marks and the chicken is done. Serve immediately.

DH’s Rating: almost 4 Tongues Up

Believe it or not, he made himself a salad to go with this veggie-heavy meal! What can I say? Anyway, he noted that this was a spice he didn’t recognize. I explained what it is and that he’ll be tasting it in a variety or upcoming recipes. He thought it was fine, but not something he’d request necessarily. He doesn’t do change well. He might have liked it more over rice, but this is a one-pan meal. I thought it was an interesting dish and one I will make again.

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Pasta Primavera

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

I shared a similar recipe on this blog last year. One-Pot Spaghetti was part of the inspiration for doing the one-pot theme this year. That and the explosion of recipes for one-pot/one-pan recipes all over the Internet. I see at least one a day during the time I’m cruising social media.

This recipe differs from last year in the kinds of ingredients and in the color. Check out the greens in this thing! This one is meatless, too, unless my other one-pot spaghetti.

What makes this recipe harder than last year’s is the amount of prep. Not onerous, but more than the other one-pot spaghetti had. Both needed to be attended to with constant stirring to keep things moving, allowing the very full pot to cook both veggies and pasta. But all in all, it takes 20-25 minutes from start to finish. That’s pretty darn good.

Oh, and don’t let the long list of ingredients scare you off. The first 11 ingredients (out of 16) go in the pot first thing! The last five are added near the end.

This One-Pot Pasta Primavera recipe comes from “Oh My Veggies”. I made it as described (for once!).

 

One-Pot Pasta Primavera (serves 4-6)

4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth

8 ounces linguine or spaghetti, uncooked

1 small onion, halved and sliced thin

1 pound broccoli crowns, cut into large florets (about 2 cups)

1 1/2 pounds asparagus, ends snapped off and cut into 2-inch pieces

4 ounces sliced white button mushrooms (about 1 cup)

4 large cloves garlic, minced

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (less for milder heat; more to increase heat)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup frozen peas

1 small handful fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/2 cup chopped)

1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest

Additional salt and pepper to taste

Additional Parmesan cheese for serving, if desired

Add the broth, linguine, onion, broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a large pot set over high heat. Drizzle the olive oil over the top.

As soon as it comes to a boil, set the timer for 7 minutes and start tossing constantly with long-handled tongs.

Continue boiling and tossing. As soon as the 7 minutes is up, add the peas, parsley, heavy whipping cream, Parmesan, and lemon zest and continue cooking, tossing constantly, for 1-2 more minutes, until the pasta and veggies appear tender. Remove from heat.

Note that much of the liquid will have evaporated, but not all. And that’s okay! Let the pasta sit for a couple of minutes to cool; the sauce will continue to thicken during that time. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if desired. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese.

DH’s Rating: 3 Tongues Up

He didn't even want to rate it! He just didn’t think this was all that tasty. I did. What can I say? He doesn’t want me to make it again, so I won’t, but your taste buds and his may not be the same. Try it if it sounds good to you.

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Chicken "Enchiladas: Florentine

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

One of my busy-night stand-bys is using leftover chicken in enchiladas with green sauce.

So this dish isn’t technically enchiladas because I didn’t roll up the corn tortillas and nest them. However, all the ingredients are there plus a special nutrition booster. Now, we all know that chicken enchiladas aren’t going to make the best nutrition list, right? Maybe that’s why they taste so good!

When I served this, I commented that doing this month’s recipes, I noticed that we eat chicken frequently and if that bothered him. His response was perfect. “Do we? I guess I didn’t realize that. They’re always so different.”

Since my original recipe isn’t a health food, I decided to up the nutritional value in this dish by adding spinach. Here’s one of his favorite dishes changed up, and DH loved!

Chicken “Enchiladas” Florentine (serve 6)

15 ounce can green chile sauce

10-12 corn tortillas

2 cups fresh baby spinach

2 cups cooked chicken, shredded

2 cups shredded cheese (I used a combo on cheddar and Mexican Blend)

Avocado chunks, shredded lettuce, diced tomato, plain yogurt (or sour cream)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a pan with non-stick cooking spray.

Pour about ¼ of the can of green chile sauce into a baking dish.

Cover the sauce with corn tortillas broken to fill the spaces.

Put spoonsful of sauce in light layer on each tortilla.

Layer on half of spinach. On top of that put ½ the chicken. Top with ½ cup cheeses.

Repeat another layer. Top with remaining corn tortillas, rest of enchilada sauce and remaining cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

 

Top with avocados, lettuce, tomatoes, and yogurt.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up!

“Oh, good! You made this again. I love your chicken enchiladas.”

“Well, this one isn’t quite the same. Instead of making the rolled up enchiladas stuffed with chicken, cheese, and enchilada sauce, I went easier and, um, a little different.”

Him, biting into his first forkful. “Hmm. Good. What’s the green stuff?”

“Spinach. And I layered the tortillas rather than rolling them. A whole bunch faster ‘cause I was running late tonight.”

“Easier is better, right, and the flavor is still there, so good for you!”

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Honey Garlic Chicken

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Honey and garlic? How could that NOT be delicious, right? I have never been told that I need to add more garlic to a dish. Ha! In my world, more is always better with garlic! However, I pared this recipe down for some of your more timid palates, but, if you’re like me, use a large clove of garlic.

This is another chicken dish I make that has a bit of sweetness. This is a flavor profile I never used to make, but we’ve become rather fond of how it changes the meal. This is one of my very favorite ways to eat chicken. DH, too! Is it my favorite favorite? Well, like your children, you really can’t pick just one, now can you?

Honey Garlic Chicken (serves 2)

2 chicken thighs

2 teaspoons oil

1 small clove garlic, minced

½ teaspoon ginger, minced

4 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

Large handful of baby carrots

8 large brussels sprouts, cut in half

Whole potato (halved after baking)

Sea salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees with cast iron skillet inside. Let skillet sit in hot oven for ten minutes, then remove to add chicken. Add oil and swirl around.

While skillet is heating, pat chicken dry. Add chicken to skillet, skin side down, when removed from oven. Let sit for five minutes then turn skin side up and return to oven with the potato alongside.

Bake chicken and potato for 20 minutes.

While chicken is baking, combine garlic, ginger, honey, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Stir thoroughly and set aside.

After 20 minutes, remove chicken from the oven. Remove potato and put on a plate. Pour sauce into skillet, stirring around to coat all sides of the chicken. Move chicken to the center and add vegetables, coating chicken, carrots and brussels sprouts with the sauce. Put potato beside chicken. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper on all.

Bake for another 25 minutes or until chicken reads 165 degrees on your meat thermometer and potato is baked. Spoon sauce over chicken. Stir carrots and brussels sprouts around to coat with sauce again.  

Remove potato and halve on plates. Serve with chicken and other vegetables.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

“I think this is the best chicken yet. And I like having a potato with it.” I think with my oyster sauce chicken and cocoa chile chicken, I’ve gotten him used to chicken with a bit of sweetness. He does have a big sweet tooth!

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Shepherd's Pie

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Uh, oh! This is one of those “recipes” that I don’t really have a recipe for. I tried to attend to the details when I was preparing it, but . . . well, you know how that can go.

The great thing about Shepherd’s Pie is that it began as humble peasant food to use up leftovers, so you can pretty much make this however you want and it can be different each time. To keep it to one pan, use an oven-proof skillet large enough to hold the ingredients.

I always use peas and carrots, but you know, that’s not writ in stone. If you have leftover asparagus (or asparagus on it’s way to heaven), use it up. We peasants eat what’s put in front of us. And this is a great leftovers dish opportunity.

I also use ground beef in my Shepherd’s Pie, but ground pork, ground chicken, or ground lamb, heck, even ground bison would work, I’ll bet.

Sharon’s Shepherd’s Pie (serves 4-6)

2 teaspoons olive oil

½ medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound low-fat ground beef

Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup beef gravy (leftover, packaged, or bottled)

1 cup carrots, large dice

1 cup frozen peas

2-3 cups mashed potatoes (leftover or fresh made)

½ cup shredded cheddar cheese (use another cheese if you want a melted cheese top)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In skillet, brown onions in oil over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for one more minute. Push to side when onions are just translucent and just beginning to brown and add in beef.

Brown beef as you move onions onto the meat and break up meat’s large pieces. Sprinkle on salt and pepper.

Add in gravy and bring to a bubbling state. Add in carrots and cook for five minutes.

Remove from heat. Add peas, mix together, and top with mashed potatoes. Sprinkle on cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until the potatoes look slightly browned and the meat sauce is bubbly hot.

I like to serve a simple fruit salad with this to cut the richness, but a tossed salad is good, too.

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

This is one of his favorite comfort food meals. When we have leftover mashed potatoes, he knows this will follow later in the week. It’s also great warmed up for lunch one day, too.

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Baked Chicken Thighs

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

Sometimes you just want simple, right? Well, you got it with this one-pan meal. While you certainly are welcome to add spices of your choice, sometimes just plain salt and pepper are enough. This may be the simplest recipe I’m posting this month. Again, if you have leftover rice, potatoes, or noodles, feel free to add them in. We found the veggies and chicken to be a fine dinner on its own, especially if you’re going lower carb for meals.

Baked Chicken Thighs (serves 4)

4 chicken thighs

1 bunch of asparagus, woody ends snapped off

3 large carrots, cut into strips

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put chicken thighs in the middle of a baking dish and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes until lightly browned.

While chicken is baking, prepare your vegetables.

When the chicken comes out of the oven, tuck the carrots and asparagus around the thighs. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and return to oven for another 25 minutes.

Serve with pan juices drizzled over both the chicken and vegetables. Enjoy!

DH’s Rating: 5 Tongues Up

Have you picked up that we eat a LOT of chicken? Yep, that’s cause it’s easy, cheap, and you can fix it a million ways. I’ve only found, over the years, a couple of chicken recipes that DH didn’t like. DH liked that in this dish the chicken flavor really came through when it was not masked by herbs or sauces.

Month-of-One-Pan Meals: Brats with Cabbage and Apples

Welcome to my annual Month-of Recipes on this blog. Go rummaging in the attic here and you’ll find past recipe months for appetizers, chicken, soup, mini-desserts, and more. The way it works is, for each day in February I post a recipe that fits the category. This month is one-pan meals, excluding pizza, most casseroles, and slow cooker recipes.

 Sounds Teutonic, doesn’t it, and this is a classic combination in some parts of the world. As a warning, unless you like this combination of flavors (and I do, but see DH’s rating), this may not be the dish for you.

Sausage, cabbage, potatoes, apples. Yum. But it is a heavy meal and may not be for everyone. Probably best to serve this in the dead cold of winter rather than a sunny spring day! Hey! Maybe you could invite the neighbors in for an OctoberFest meal! Get more beer!

Brats with Cabbage and Apples (serves 4-6)

4-6 brats

12 ounces Guinness Extra Stout

2 Granny Smith apples, cut into eighths

½ red onion, cut into slices

½ pound baby potatoes, halved

1 cup apple cider

½ head of red cabbage, cut into slices

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven, soak brats in Guinness Extra Stout for three hours.

After three hours, turn the heat to high and boil for 15 minutes. Lower heat to medium and continue cooking until a thick sauce forms on the bottom and brats are browned. Remove brats to a dish and cover with foil.

Deglaze the pot with cider. Immediately add apple slices, onion, and potatoes.Stir around to coat with deglazing liquid.

Add cabbage and drizzle on apple cider vinegar. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Add brats back in and stir to combine.

Simmer all ingredients for about 20 minutes. Serve immediately for freshest taste.

   

DH’s Rating: 3 Tongues Up

“Too heavy. I feel too full.”

“Yeah, but how about the taste? Did you like how it tasted?”

“Yeah . . . But why was it so sweet? That tasted funny to me.”

I explained the apples and apple cider and he understood, but said he wouldn’t be requesting this for a future meal. Okay. I’ve got lots of stuff he likes better. Don’t worry about him. He won’t starve.