Whatever your preferred plural second person is: Y’all, you guys, youse, yins: this meal is so easy and so delicious. The only think-ahead element is the marinade, but you’ll be happy to think ahead after you become familiar with how not-dry the chicken breast is and how very tasty the marinade-that-becomes-sauce is. Meanwhile, the cooking of everything except the sauce takes place in one oven, so you can do all kinds of things during the 25-minute cooktime.
In our house, for example, we’ve been spending time every single day for the last 16 days listening to my friend L read the first Harry Potter book chapter by chapter. L and I have known each other since 1989. The daily readings are via Zoom, but he is able to record them, so if we miss a day, we can catch up.
I’m old friends with Harry and the gang, but M, age 6, has never met them before, and finds herself totally drawn into the story despite her substantial fear of the scary parts. Tonight will be the final chapter of book 1 (HP and the Sorcerer’s Stone aka HP and the Philosopher’s Stone). We’ll see how M handles the big reveal and whether she wants to continue with book 2.
Honey Balsamic Chicken Breasts and Veggies | serves 6-8
Ingredients
- 3/8 cup balsamic vinegar
- 3 Tbs honey
- 2 Tb Dijon mustard
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried basil
- 2 tsp table salt, divided
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 5 pounds chicken breasts
- 16 ounces baby potatoes, quartered
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes
- 2 Tbs olive oil
- 1 pound asparagus, tough ends snapped off
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp corn starch
Instructions
In a medium bowl, whisk together balsamic vinegar, honey, Dijon, garlic, oregano, basil, 1 tsp salt, and pepper.
Place chicken in gallon size Ziploc bag and pour in the balsamic mixture. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 30 minutes to 8 hours. Turn the bag over occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with aluminum foil and coat with cooking spray. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes and tomatoes with the olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Place mixture on baking sheets in a single layer. Remove chicken from the marinade and place on the baking sheet among the veggies, still in one layer.
Place the baking sheets in the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 25-30 minutes. Add the asparagus during the last 10 minutes of cooking time.
While chicken and veggies are roasting, empty the marinade into a small saucepan and add the chicken broth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil until reduced by half. In a small bowl, mix the corn starch with 1/4 cup water and stir. Add the corn starch slurry to the saucepan. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove the baking sheets from the oven. Move the chicken to a cutting board and slice it across the grain. Plate the veggies and add slices of chicken. Top with the sauce.