One Dish Dinner: Lemon Garlic Chicken

The busiest time of day in this household is generally between 4-6pm.  During that time, I need to supervise homework, complete household chores left from before work, make sure we have everything we need for evening activities and all the while preparing, eating and cleaning up dinner! The challenge is always how to get a good nutritious meal on the table without creating a mountain of clean up work!  That's where one dish meals come in! I love the quick prep time and minimal mess of these types of meals!  For this particular dish, chicken is so versatile, you can pair whatever veggies you like with it.  I chose potatoes and asparagus, but it would be just as great with turnips and green beans!  The total prep time is about 20 minutes which is mostly cleaning and cutting the veggies, lemon and garlic. Putting the dish together takes less than 5 minutes, it is just layering process.

Lemon Garlic Chicken:

Ingredients:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 lemons

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 potatoes, quartered 

1 bunch asparagus, trimmed

4 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*F. Thinly slice 1 1/2 lemons.  Reserve a half lemon for the juice.  Coat a 9x13 casserole dish with 1 tbsp of olive oil and then place the sliced lemon in a single layer in the dish.  In a bowl, mixed together 3 tbsp of oil with the juice of the remaining lemon half.  Add the minced garlic, salt and pepper and mix well.  Gently toss the asparagus in the lemon garlic mixture and then place in an even layer over the lemon slices in the 9x13.  Repeat the same process with the potatoes and chicken.  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes.  Let dish rest for 5 minutes out of the oven before serving!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Roast with Mustard Duck Sauce Glaze

When I go grocery shopping, I make a meal plan and vow that I will stick to my list.  Inevitably, I end up buying extra meat that is on sale and I have no plan of what to do with it.  This week, I brought home a lovely small pork roast.  When I was ready to use it, I rummaged through my fridge and pantry for things to go with it and came up with bacon!  I looked up recipes for this combo and most had some sort of glaze.  Since this wasn't a meal that I planned in advance, I didn't have all the ingredients for any one specific recipe so I improvised. Instead of honey, preserves or chutney, I used packets of duck sauce that I had left over from Chinese takeout.  If you're like me, you always have extra takeout condiments floating around in your refridge!  Sean and the boys enjoyed my improv & I hope you will too!

Bacon Wrapped Pork Roast with Mustard Duck Ssice Glaze:

Ingredients:

1-2lb pork roast

4-6 slices of bacon

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp garlic salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tbsp country brown mustard

4 packets duck sauce

1 packet hot mustard

4 tbsp oil split in half

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325*F.  In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, garlic salt and the two peppers.  Rub this mixture evenly over the pork roast.  Wrap the roast in the slices of uncooked bacon and fasten with toothpicks.  Inserting the toothpicks on the side of the roast works best.  Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in an oven proof pan over medium heat on the stovetop.  Place the bacon wrapped roast in the pan and sear it on all sides about 8 minutes per side.  While the roast is searing, mix together the remaining oil, brown mustard, hot mustard, and duck sauce.  After the roast has been browned, remove the pan from the heat.  Brush the mustard duck sauce on the roast and place the pan in the oven.  Cook for 45 minutes to an hour. The roast should have an internal temperature between 150-160*F.  After you remove the roast from the oven, let it rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing.