Autumn Chicken Bake

Let me start by saying that Thanksgiving is two weeks from today!  I absolutely can't believe that - this month has just flown by.  When I put this on the table last night, my husband said that it looked and smelled like fall.  I couldn't agree more and that was exactly what I was going for!  I happened to have most of the ingredients in my kitchen and it all cooks in one pan so this dinner came together easily.  The bonus was that my family loved it.  Okay, my girls ate a bite of each vegetable (one half brussels sprout each) but they loved the chicken and asked for seconds - that's a success around here!

You might be tempted to substitute chicken breasts (and you can) but the thighs were just delicious and don't get as dried out when you bake this.  The original recipe called for bone-in skin-on thighs and a little broiling at the end to crisp it up but I went with boneless skinless.

Trust me - this is what you want for dinner tonight!  Did I mention it has bacon?

Autumn Chicken Bake (serves 4-6)
from Cooking Classy blog

4-5 boneless skinless chicken thighs
2 cups  butternut squash (peeled and cut into cubes)
2 cups brussels sprouts (trimmed and halved)
1-2 Fuji apples, sliced
4 slices hickory smoked bacon, cut into 1 in. pieces
2 shallots, peeled and sliced
4 T olive oil, divided
1.5 T red wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T each chopped fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Pour 2 T olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, and herbs in a large ziplock bag and add the chicken.  Add some salt and pepper, close the bag, and massage the chicken.  Leave this on the counter while you get the vegetables ready.

Spray a 9x13 pan with olive oil spray and add the squash, brussels sprouts, apples, and shallots.  Drizzle with remaining olive oil (or spray with more olive oil spray) and season with salt and pepper.  Set the chicken thighs on top of the vegetable/fruit mixture and sprinkle everything with the bacon pieces.

Roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is done and the brussels sprouts are tender.