YOU SURVIVED. Here’s to hoping you didn’t have to host (unless you like that sort of thing) Thanksgiving, you got to wear your stretchy pants and you spent the majority of the day in a coma. If you’re wondering WTF is wrong with me, I’m just sour because I didn’t get to go home to Iowa for Thanksgiving for, like, the 3rd year in a row and eat my mom’s green bean casserole. UGH. Mom, send casserole.

Post-Thanksgiving Roasted Chicken, Cranberries and Fall Vegetables

Maybe you didn’t get to go home for Thanksgiving, maybe you had to work, maybe you weren’t able to travel or maybe you were lucky enough to feast all day but you’re like me, and you just can’t get enough of dem Thanksgiving flavors. I mean, those pilgrims and Native Americans sure knew what they were doing, right? Isn’t that how it worked? K, bad joke.

No matter what your excuse for more Thanksgiving is, (subtract the gluttony, add in super healthy, balanced meal) I’ve got you covered here. Juicy, roasted chicken, cranberries and fall vegetables – you can use whatever fall vegetables you’d like, I kept it really simple with petite red potatoes, carrots and onions. Honestly, there’s probably leftover potatoes and carrots in your in-laws fridge so snatch them up and get cooking.

The dried cranberries absolutely kill this dish. In a good way. They get all soft and plump and add a hint of sweetness and tanginess to an otherwise super savory dish. The balance of the flavors here are just too good.

Let’s talk about the real star of the show here, though – the chicken. I’m always looking for new ways to make boneless, skinless chicken breasts not suck. For a while, I was brining my chicken overnight and that worked well but if I didn’t plan ahead, and I was in a pinch, baking chicken just wasn’t an option. It gets SO dry and flavorless and vanilla. UNTIL NOW.

The Secret to Super-Juicy-Not-Even-A-Little-Dry Roasted Chicken Breasts

I can’t take credit for this genius – I discovered this juicy chicken secret here and they have a cute little video if you want to check it out, but basically you just cover your chicken with parchment, sort of tucking in the ends the best you can to create a little parchment house for your chicken, and it magically turns out to the be the greatest chicken of all time. The end.

Ok let’s get into it – here’s the PHFF! stats on this dish. Perfect for lunch or dinner, this is a totally balanced meal to keep your blood sugar steady throughout the day, keeping you full and keeping your energy at psycho level – my favorite level to be at.

• Protein – Chicken Breasts

• Healthy Fat – Olive Oil

• Fiber – Carrots, Onions, Potatoes, Cranberries

Perfect. Here’s the recipe.

Roasted Chicken with Cranberries and Fall Vegetables

Author: Megan Hansen, RDN, LD

Prep time: 15 mins | Cook time: 30 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Serves: 4

Savory and sweet, juicy roasted chicken with potatoes, carrots and onions – pretty much the most perfect fall dinner.

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1-1.5 lbs)

• 1 lb petite red potatoes, quartered

• 1/2 lb carrots, cut into 2” matchsticks

• 1 large onion, sliced 1/4” thick

• 1/3 c dried cranberries

• 1 Tbsp salt + fresh ground pepper

• 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

• 1/2 lemon

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1/4 tsp thyme, dried

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper.

2. Heat 2 t olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.

3. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Don’t be shy – lay that salt on!

4. Once pan is super hot, sear chicken breasts for just 30 seconds on each side. Set aside.

5. Place potatoes and carrots in a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high for 4 minutes.

6. Add onions and cranberries to potatoes and carrots, then pour in the remaining olive oil (2 1/3 Tbsp), 1 Tbsp salt and freshly ground pepper. Toss the veggies together.

7. Dump veggies and cranberries on your prepared sheet pan. Place chicken on top of veggies.

8. Stir together remaining ingredients in the same bowl you were using, then drizzle over the whole pan. Use a spatula to get all the goodness out of the bowl and onto the chicken and veggies.

9. Place another piece of parchment over the over pan, and tuck in the sides the best you can. It doesn’t have to be perfect, just get everything snuggled under the parchment.

10. Bake for 25 minutes, remove the top piece of parchment, turn the heat up to “broil” and let it broil for 6-8 minutes to crisp up the veggies. Stand-by, and keep a close eye (and nose) on the pan!

Serving size: 1/4 recipe, based on 1.5 lb chicken breast

Fat: 17 | Carbohydrates: 41 | Fiber: 6 | Protein: 37

Notes: Searing the chicken really quick before baking it seals in a ton of moisture. You don’t HAVE to do it, but you definitely should. It’ll make a difference in the juiciness of the chicken.

If you’re over Thanksgiving, and only have raisins on hand, they would work really well in this recipe, too.

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