Ingredients:
8 chicken thighs (about 1 1/2 lb)
1 1/2 tablespoon buttermilk ranch dressing mix
8 oz crimini mushrooms (halved if large)
1 lb “baby” potatoes
3/4 cup caramelized onions* (about 2 onion’s worth)
1 1/2 cup pickled dilled Brussels sprouts (with brine, about half a 24-oz jar or use homemade)
superfine flour (like Wondra)
freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375. Lightly oil or spray with cooking spray a 9×13 inch baking pan. Set aside.
Heat a small amount of oil in a large skillet.
Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with ranch mix, flour, and pepper. Flour the top (skin-side) of the chicken. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pan.
Cook about 10 minutes or until the skin is crisp, lightly browned and much of the fat has rendered into the pan. DO NOT FLIP THE CHICKEN!
Meanwhile, arrange the potatoes, mushrooms, dilled Brussels sprouts and onions in single layer in the baking pan.
Top with the chicken, skin-side up.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the potatoes are tender. Serve immediately.
*In a time pinch? Just use thinly sliced raw onion slices under the chicken.
My thoughts:
When Paisley Farm approached me about participating in a blogger recipe contest I happily agreed. I’m always up for a challenge and they make a whole line of interesting pickled items from three-bean salads to beets to Brussels sprouts. Since pickled Brussels sprouts are something I’ve made myself in the past, I’ve received a few emails over the years asking about what do with them beyond a cheese plate, cocktail garnish or snack. This seemed like the perfect time for find out! Their pickled Dilled Brussels Sprouts was a wonderful choice for this recipe! I developed this method of cooking chicken thighs a couple of years ago and find it works best when you get a good crispy skin on the chicken before baking and have some juicy ingredients underneath the chicken while it bakes to almost “steam” the chicken from below. It really makes for a juicy, flavorful chicken! In this case the pickle-y dill brine infuses the chicken with flavor. Since the Brussel sprouts are whole, they hold up well to baking and serve as your vegetable in this one pan dish.
