I’m sharing a recipe that I made a couple of times a month when my girls were smaller…juicy, flavorful chicken and tender, yummy veggies, all from scratch…what’s a toddler (and her mommy and daddy) not to love??? Almost five years later, this recipe is still a favorite.
This recipe uses all REAL ingredients, which is something I strive for. And it makes enough for my family to eat two meals…plus extra veggies…PLUS stock for a small batch of chicken noodle soup. That’s a home run for time-crunched mamas in my book!
Grease a LARGE baking dish (I use a big lasagna pan), and place 10 or 12 chicken legs with the skin on. Around the chicken legs, place baby carrots (I buy the petite ones so they cook a little quicker), potatoes that have been peeled and sliced into wedges, peeled garlic cloves, and quartered mushrooms.
Finely slice an onion and arrange it over the chicken and veggies. Then arrange pats of butter on top of the dish. The recipe I referenced from originally called for 4 Tbsp. of butter, but I only use about half that. I cut the butter into very thin slices and arrange it evenly.
Then sprinkle spices over the dish — I use a tablespoon of dried parsley, 1/2 a tablespoon of garlic powder, and fresh-ground salt and pepper, to taste. Then pour water over everything, to about 1/2″ of the rim of the dish. Cover the dish tightly in foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for an hour. Uncover and bake for another 20-30 minutes, until veggies are tender and juices in chicken run clear.
I forgot to take a picture as I pulled this out of the oven (as my crew was clamoring!). Here is the pan after the four of us ate supper. You can see we had about half the recipe remaining!
This dish heats really well. I separate the meat and veggies into one bowl, and then I strain the stock into another…and this is the dish that keeps on giving!
Refrigerate the stock, if you’d like, and it will congeal. Skim the fat from the top of the dish and discard.
Heat the stock in a saucepan, along with finely sliced carrots (1 or 2), finely sliced celery (1 or 2 stalks) and finely sliced cloves of garlic, if desired. If you have left-over chicken, you can shred it and add to the soup, too. Bring the stock to a boil and add some egg noodles. Cook at a slow boil 8 minutes, or according to the directions on the package of egg noodles.
Viola! Super easy chicken noodle soup!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as my family does!
MandyE is mom to soon-to-be five year old fraternal twin girls. She blogs about their adventures, and her journey through motherhood, at Twin Trials and Triumphs.
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