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I cannot believe that March is already here! Aside from thinking about the warm weather that we'll be experiencing soon in the Midwest, I've got Brussels sprouts on my mind. Yep. One of the most delicious cruciferous vegetables on the planet - when roasted. I had previously shared with you my Thanksgiving-Worthy Roasted Brussels Sprout Salad with Pomegranate, Toasted Walnuts, and Apple Cider Vinaigrette. It's still one of my favorites.
These bad boys are usually in season from late fall through the winter. I don't need to tell you that winter is almost over. So naturally, I came up with a sheet pan recipe containing this ridiculously delicious veggie before it's no longer in its prime. To read more about Brussels sprouts, click here.
My sheet pan chicken, potatoes, and Brussels sprouts combo offers a variety of flavors. The dry-rubbed chicken is slightly spicy - thanks to the cayenne pepper, chili powder, and a touch of cumin. The red potatoes are garlicky and have also been seasoned with dry dill weed. And the Brussels sprouts are tossed in a lemon/mustard sauce when they come out of the oven. Yep. So. Darn. Good.
I will be the first to admit that I'm normally not that psyched about potatoes. Not even french fries. Weird - I know. But for me, roasted garlicky potatoes are something to get excited about. By leaving them in the oven long enough, they get crispy - which I love. The key to making these potatoes perfectly garlicky is to top the potatoes with minced garlic during the last 10 minutes of the cooking process - to avoid burning the garlic.
I used TWO sheet pans for this dish (I used one 20 inch x 14 inch sheet pan for the vegetables since they require more space - and cooked the chicken by itself on a separate sheet pan). I once placed the chicken directly on top of the potatoes when I made this dish, but that method of course prevented the potatoes from becoming as crispy (The potatoes were alright. They just had a softer texture).
When I cook the chicken for this dish, I prefer to line a sheet pan with parchment paper - and lightly oil the paper to prevent sticking. Since I use skinless chicken for this recipe, I lightly brush both sides of the chicken with oil to keep it as moist as possible (Lord knows I've dried out one too many pieces of chicken in the oven over the years). This combination of brushing the chicken with oil, followed by coating it with the dry rub, helps the chicken stay moist when I bake it for 35 minutes at 400°F (Since ovens vary in performance, you'll want to adjust the cooking time as needed).
So as you'll see in the directions below, you'll first get the potatoes roasting - since they need to be in the oven for the longest amount of time to develop an awesome crispy texture. Then at the 25-minute mark, you'll add the chicken to the oven, followed by adding the Brussels sprouts at the 35-minute mark! I'm able to remove both sheet pans at the 60-minute mark from my oven, with each dish cooked just the way I like it. I hope that you enjoy this meal just as much as Colin and I do!
Yield: 4 servings (Allow yourself to listen to your hunger/fullness cues)
Ingredients:
Garlicky Dill Potatoes:
1 1/2 pounds red or white potatoes, cut into bite size pieces (Halve or quarter them depending on the size of the potato)
1 tablespoon canola oil (Or olive oil)
1 teaspoon dry dill weed
1/4 Kosher salt (Adjust to taste)
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon garlic, minced (3 cloves)
Dry Rub:
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
Dash of freshly ground black pepper
Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon canola oil (Or olive oil)
Lemon Mustard Brussels Sprouts:
1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved (Remove any outer leaves that are yellow or damaged)
2 teaspoons canola oil (Or olive oil)
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt (Adjust to taste)
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
Directions:
1. Prepare the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the bite size pieces of potato into a medium mixing bowl. Then toss the potatoes with the one tablespoon of oil, dry dill weed, salt, and pepper until the oil/seasoning is equally distributed. Next, evenly spread the potatoes in a single layer on one half of a large, lightly oiled or lined sheet pan - leaving room for the Brussels sprouts that you'll be roasting later (A 20 inch. x 14 inch. sheet pan works well for cooking these two vegetables side-by-side). Place the potatoes on the top rack of oven, and roast for a total of 50-60 minutes until the potatoes are crispy (In my oven 60 minutes does the job, but adjust the cooking time as needed). During the last 10 minutes of cooking the potatoes, top the potatoes with the minced garlic. Note: For even cooking, flip the potatoes after they've roasted for 15 minutes, followed by flipping them again at the 35-minute mark when you add the Brussels sprouts).
2. Prepare the chicken (You'll be adding the chicken to the oven when the potatoes have roasted for 25 minutes). Line a sheet pan with parchment paper, and lightly brush the paper with oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. To make the dry rub - in a large mixing bowl - combine the cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder, paprika, cayenne pepper, sugar, salt, and black pepper. Next, lightly brush both sides of a chicken breast with oil (The 1 tablespoon of oil works well for brushing the 4 pieces of chicken). Then dip the chicken in the mixing bowl containing the dry rub, rubbing both sides of the chicken with the seasoning. Place the dry-rubbed chicken breast on the lined sheet pan. Repeat this process with the other three chicken breasts. When the potatoes have roasted for 25 minutes, move the potatoes to the bottom rack of the oven, and place the chicken on the top rack of the oven (Note: I bake the chicken for a total of 35 minutes. The chicken will be done when its internal temperature reads 165°F on a meat thermometer. Since the performance of each oven varies, adjust the cooking time as needed).
3. It's time for the Brussels sprouts! While the chicken and potatoes are roasting, in a large mixing bowl, gently toss the halved Brussels sprouts, two teaspoons of oil, and salt together. At the thirty-five minute mark, remove the sheet pan containing the potatoes. Flip the potatoes with a spatula. Then add the Brussels sprouts to the other half of this sheet pan - leaving space in between the Brussels sprouts. Return this sheet pan to the bottom rack of the oven and roast for 25 minutes (Or until the potatoes are crispy and the Brussels sprouts are slightly golden/ have a crispy exterior). While the vegetables and chicken are roasting, make the lemon mustard sauce for the Brussels sprouts. To make the sauce, combine the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and one tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Adjust seasonings to taste, and set aside.
4. When the chicken and vegetables are cooked to your liking, remove both sheet pans from the oven. Next, carefully scoop the hot Brussels sprouts into the mixing bowl containing the lemon mustard sauce - and gently toss until they're evenly coated (You'll want to serve the Brussels sprouts immediately because the sauce will cause them to soften). Adjust seasonings to taste, and serve. Enjoy!
Note: The roasted potatoes recipe has been adapted from Ina Garten's Garlic Roasted Potatoes recipe.