This chicken dish has been known to make mouths water and folks ask for seconds. It is easy, suitable for a special meal, delicious hot or cold, and can be nicely paired with potatoes, quinoa or rice. Prep time is about 10 minutes if you use potatoes, which can be baked in the same dish as the chicken. You can use thighs, (which I prefer), or breasts. It takes about an hour’s baking time to get everything tender, and it helps to baste the spuds as well as the chicken mid way through. You will want to quickly baste and check again at the last 15-minute mark to see if you need to cover with foil, as sometimes maple sugar can cause the sauce to get too brown. It is a good idea to reduce your temp to 375F for the last 15 minutes, and once you take it out of the oven, let it stand for about 5 minutes before serving.
What you will need:
8 chicken thighs, figuring on two per person
8 red potatoes, or any other small potato that can fit between the chicken pieces and soak up the juice
¼ cup REAL maple syrup
¼ cup stone ground or Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon of minced garlic
¼ teaspoon Organic Seasoning from Costco, or your favorite poultry seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat oven to 400F. Place thighs and potatoes in a glass 9x 13 Pyrex baking dish. It is not necessary to grease the pan, but a light coating of coconut oil subtly layers in extra flavor. Mix together the mustard, syrup, garlic, and seasoning in a small dish and spoon it over the chicken. Use any leftover mixture on the potatoes if you wish. I think it blends the flavors together, but this is optional. If you are using breasts, depending upon the size of the meat, or larger potatoes, you can increase your syrup and mustard amounts to ½ cup each, and use two pans to insure that everything gets fully cooked. Serve with a harvest salad and your favorite fall beverage.
