Lemon Chicken Dinner Prepped in a Flash - UPDATED 7/2014

On a quick errand-running dip down into Washington State a few months ago, I picked up a huge package of chicken that would have cost a day's pay up here in Canada. But plans for the week changed and I must have been in quite a rush, because I had tossed it into the freezer packaged just the way it came from the  grocery store, whereas I normally would have divided the package into portions. It needed to be used.

Last week I had a group of ladies coming over for a game night. Usually, if my husband is here, he tends to the last minute dinner prep and serves us. He's great about things like that. But that week he was away, so I needed something really easy with no last minute chores involved to disturb our play. Usually I do a one-dish or crockpot meal for that reason, but I really needed to use that chicken, and it would take a crowd to eat it all, so this was my chance.

Brainstorm. My mom makes a baked lemon-garlic chicken, but I made the entire meal even easier. Here's what to do:


DINE-IN LEMON PEPPERCORN CHICKEN AND POTATOES

13x9x2 pan (I had to use 2 pans) - sprayed w/ oil
enough chicken pieces to feed your family or crowd*
enough potatoes to feed same
salt
4 cloves garlic per pan, peeled
about 2 t peppercorns per pan
2 juicy lemons per pan
sprigs of tarragon or rosemary would be nice additions
**see note below

Cut potatoes in half lengthwise unless using small new potatoes. Place both chicken and potatoes together into baking pan(s). (*leave the skin on - at least on half of the chicken pieces) Make sure potatoes are cut side up. Salt liberally. Toss garlic cloves and peppercorns into pan. Using reamer, juice lemons over chicken and potatoes. Cover with foil but poke a few holes in it. Bake at 375F for roughly 75min - until potatoes are soft and chicken is tender. Take foil off the last 15-20min.



I was very fortunate that day - the chicken was still a little frosty after leaving it to thaw overnight, so I assembled the meal in the pans, covered it with foil and it was fine just sitting on the counter until time to pop it in the oven. I also made ahead a pan of Green Beans and Sour Cream, which I left out at room temp and added to the oven when I took the foil off the chicken. It was a lovely meal, and there was nothing to do at mealtime but serve the plates. But here's an even easier idea to truly make this a one-dish meal:

**toss fresh green beans, broccoli or asparagus with olive or avocado oil, salt and pepper, and layer it on top of the chicken and potatoes to roast when you take the foil off.