One Pan Crispy Garlic Parmesan Chicken and Potatoes with Burrata, Pesto and Tomatoes
A Summery one pan wonder!
My whole ethos when it comes to weeknight cooking, or cooking in general is that I want to make life as easy as possible. I want maximum rewards for minimal effort. I love dishes that you can throw together and pop in the oven and let it do all the heavy lifting. I love cooking, but that doesn’t mean I want to come home at the end of a long day and spend hours in the kitchen. I want something quick and easy and most of all delicious.
This one pan garlic and parmesan roasted chicken with crispy potatoes comes together so easily, and is buttery, colourful and incredibly delicious! This is a “bung in the oven” job and then when it comes out you garnish it with fresh juicy cherry tomatoes, cool creamy burrata and a drizzle of pesto. And let me tell you, the combination of hot and cold, crisp and fresh with crunchy and soft is so good.
A few easy things take this from a simple chicken and potato dish to something truly special. So often with cooking, it’s the finishing touches, the few minutes of extra effort that really elevate a dish. That’s something else I feel quite passionately about, even if you’re just cooking for yourself, don’t settle for okay, you’re worth making the effort for and never more so then after a long day. When I worked in a restaurant, the most important part of my job was “dressing” the plate which involved saucing and adding the garnish. Adding a garnish is the easiest way to zhuzh up a dish, whether it’s some lemon slices, a sprinkling of chopped herbs, a drizzle of something or a scattering of cheese - these are the things that add interest to the eye and also, importantly every bite.
The chicken and potatoes are roasted together in one tray. We are using skin on, and bone in chicken thighs because frankly they are my favourite but also conveniently they take the same time to cook in the oven as the potatoes. You don’t even need to bother parboiling the potatoes - you see, I really am here to make your life easier! Once the potatoes are crispy and tender and the chicken is golden you simply take the pan from the oven. Then drizzle with the pesto, adorn with burrata and juicy cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Not only does this look so pretty (which is very important- we eat with our eyes!) but it also ensures you’re going to get little pops of incredible flavour in each mouthful. I love this kind of cooking where you bring it to the table in the dish you cooked it in, it’s easy and friendly and saves on washing up.
Perfect as it is but if you wanted to add some greens I would go with a simple side salad and / or some blanched tenderstem broccoli.
Feeds 4 but you can cut in half easily if there are only 2 of you. Although I never complain about having cold left over chicken and potatoes!
