Oven Roasted Chicken Thighs With Brussel Sprouts, Leeks, Mushroom and Bacon

The best recipes are often accidental.  So it was with this one-dish supper.  I placed boneless chicken thighs, a staple in our house, on a baking sheet.  I prefer chicken thighs to breasts for roasting as they are more flavorful and won’t dry out.  Seasoned simply with salt, pepper and French thyme then smothered  with sliced leeks, halved brussel sprouts and sliced white mushrooms this is a great winter one-dish meal.   Next the dish is sprinkled with chopped bacon for flavor and to provide fat for roasting. If you omit the bacon, splash some olive oil on top.  Roasted on the lower rack at high heat, the veggies crisp up nicely and the flavors are dynamite together.  Be sure to run a wooden spoon throughout a few times  during cooking for uniform roasting.  Toss a few glugs of balsamic vinegar on top right before serving to add a note of brightness.  Dinner in about a half hour.  My kind of weeknight!

• Servings: 6
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Ingredients:

3 lbs of chicken thighs, trimmed of fat

salt, pepper, dried thyme to taste

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 lb of whole brussel sprouts

1 10 oz package of mushrooms, sliced

4 slices of bacon, chopped

balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 450F.

Method:  In a shallow, rimmed, baking sheet, spread out the chicken.  Season with the salt, pepper and thyme.  Smother with the leeks.  Trim and halve the brussel sprouts and toss on top of the chicken.  Scatter the sliced mushrooms on top and finish with the chopped bacon.  Roast on the lower rack for 20-30 minutes, giving the dish a few scrapes of a wooden spoon to keep everything cooking evenly.  Before serving, splash a few glugs of balsamic vinegar to taste.  Scrape all those tasty bits from the roasting pan!

Seasoned chicken

Leeks and sprouts added

Mushroom and bacon added, ready to ROAST!

Splash of balsamic added

Bon appétit!