Quick Roast Chicken & Root Vegetables

From EatingWell: September/October 2009 — Subscribe Now!

Roasted chicken in 45 minutes? No problem. This technique of starting bone-in chicken breasts on the stovetop and finishing them in a hot oven with vegetables gets a hearty dinner on the table in a hurry. While everything roasts, you still have time to make a quick pan sauce with shallot and Dijon mustard. Serve with a spinach salad.

READER'S COMMENT:

"I was really impressed by the ease of this recipe and the delicious results! I've shared it with several friends- it is the perfect quick and tasty fall dinner. "

Quick Roast Chicken & Root Vegetables Recipe

4 servings

Active Time: 45 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
1 pound baby potatoes, quartered
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon chopped fresh marjoram or 1 teaspoon dried
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
2 bone-in chicken breasts (12 ounces each), skin and fat removed, cut in half crosswise
1 large shallot, chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons red- or white-wine vinegar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 500°F.
Toss turnips, potatoes, 1 tablespoon oil, marjoram, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper together in a medium bowl. Spread in an even layer on a large baking sheet. Roast for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, place flour in a shallow dish. Transfer 2 teaspoons of the flour to a small bowl and whisk in broth; set aside. Season chicken with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour, shaking off excess. (Discard any leftover flour.)
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken, skinned-side down, and cook until well browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
After the vegetables have been roasting for 15 minutes, stir them and place one piece of chicken, skinned-side up, in each corner of the baking sheet. (Set the skillet aside.) Return the vegetables and chicken to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes more.
When the chicken and vegetables have about 10 minutes left, return the skillet to medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Whisk the reserved broth mixture again, add to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by about half, about 8 minutes. Stir in mustard and vinegar. Serve the chicken and vegetables with the sauce.

Nutrition

Per serving: 333 calories; 10 g fat (2 g sat, 6 g mono); 72 mg cholesterol; 29 g carbohydrates; 31 g protein; 4 g fiber; 770 mg sodium; 1033 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (58% daily value), Potassium (30% dv), Magnesium (16% dv).

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat