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One-Pan Parmesan Roast Chicken with Cauliflower, Onion and Potatoes

Happy June!!! Are you feeling the crazy busyness of this time of year, what with all the end-of-school galas, ceremonies, games, carnivals, family visits and graduations...? I know I am. This is my first post all week and I've had to practically hide in my room to find the time to get it out to all of you. If you're experiencing the "pre-summer overwhelm" too, then you desperately need this super simple One-Pan Parmesan Roast Chicken with Cauliflower, Onion and Potatoes. Think you've got no time to make dinner tonight? Think again. If you've got 10 minutes to prepare and about an hour of cooking time (which leaves you free to say, throw in a load of laundry or pay some bills-these are definitely multi-tasking times) then dinner for tonight is solved!!

This is one of those classic one-pan recipes that you absolutely MUST have in your repertoire. Besides being incredibly yummy, it's crazy easy and extremely versatile. Truly, all you do is throw everything into a big roasting pan, toss with some oil, salt and pepper and roast. Ten minutes before it's done, you sprinkle on some freshly grated Parmesan (although you could leave this out and it would be wonderful anyway) and call it a night! The chicken is incredibly tender with a wonderfully crackly top, the cauliflower and onions get gorgeously caramelized and the little potatoes are tender bites of comforting starchy goodness. And because it all cooks in one pan, cleanup is a breeze too!

It's so yummy that you may actually be able to get everyone to stop what they're doing and sit down and eat! Yeah, it's that good!!!


One-Pan Parmesan Roast Chicken with Cauliflower, Onion and Potatoes

Makes 4-5 servings
Prep Time:  10-15 minutes; Bake Time:  About 1 hour

Ingredients

  • Anywhere between 2-3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (I used all white meat, but any kind would work)
  • 1 pound baby red or white potatoes
  • 1 large head cauliflower, cut into not-too-small florets
  • 2 large onions, cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (you could also use canola or corn)
  • Salt and pepper for seasoning
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

The Recipe

1.  Preheat oven to 400ºF. Place the chicken, potatoes, cauliflower and onions into a large roasting pan so that all of it can lie flat in a single layer (if you only have a small pan, separate the ingredients and use 2 pans--if the ingredients don't lie flat they will steam instead of roast). Pour the oil over everything, season with salt and pepper and toss all of the ingredients well, making sure the chicken is eventually left skin-side up.

2.  Roast for about 45 minutes (if the chicken is very thick this might take longer), turning the veggies occasionally so that they get golden brown all over. When the chicken is almost done, sprinkle on the Parmesan, toss again to combine and roast for another 10-12 minutes so that the cheese gets crisped and golden. Serve immediately. Leftovers reheat well and can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from Simple by Diana Henry. I fiddled around a lot with this in terms of ingredients and proportions but the basic concept is the same. I haven't tried it yet but this would also probably be great subbing in sweet potatoes or another hardy veggie for the cauliflower.