When I'm near Peoria, I love picking up the ingredients at the Peoria Farmers Market and then nestling in for dinner at the farm. This month’s recipe is a simple, one-pot (well, one-skillet) dish that will have everyone reaching for seconds: It’s my Apple Cider Chicken with Apples and Butternut Squash recipe. This is truly the best autumn dinner—perfectly browned chicken, juicy apple cider sauce, and rich, tender cubed butternut squash... I hope your family and friends love this dish as much as mine do!
Yield: 4 Servings
Mary DiSomma's Apple Cider Chicken with Apples and Butternut Squash
Prep time: 30 MinTotal time: 30 Min
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
- Place chicken breasts between paper towels and pat dry. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon olive oil, paprika, cumin, pepper and salt. Smear the chicken breasts with the olive oil mixture to coat.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the butternut squash cubes with the sliced apple and remaining 1 teaspoon olive oil.
- Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet on medium high heat. Heat for 4 minutes. Carefully place the chicken pieces, skin-side down, in the pan. Cook without turning for 4 to 5 minutes or until the chicken skin turns a nice brown color. Turn chicken and cook for 2 more minutes. Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate. Reduce heat to medium.
- Melt the butter in the cast iron skillet used for the chicken. Sprinkle the flour over the butter. Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Add the apple cider, mustard, maple syrup and soy sauce. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to a simmer. The sauce will begin to thicken.
- Place the chicken breasts, skin-side up, back into the pan with the sauce. Disperse the squash and apple mixture evenly around the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste and a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
- Place the skillet into the preheated oven. Roast for 25 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees on a meat thermometer.
- To serve, cut the chicken breasts into slices. Divide the chicken slices among 4 plates along with the squash and apples. Drizzle the apple cider sauce over the chicken and garnish each plate with a sprig of fresh thyme.
© 2021 Mary's Delishes, LLC
