Ellen Cawood 

Do you all ever just have those week’s that you know are going to be so busy that by the time the next Sunday gets here you will wonder where it went? That is exactly the kind of week I am preparing for. I am going to be on the go quite a bit, so I needed to make something quick and easy with little fuss. 

This dish recipe with little clean up. It might sound crazy, but I simply add a little bit of a prepackaged side salad with this and call it a day when I have no time on my hands. It’s sure to take the pressure off of cooking this week.

Chicken Potato Bake

Ingredients: 4 to 5 medium sized potatoes of your choice (I used golden potatoes because it is what I had on hand), 1 tablespoon of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs,  1 cup shredded mozzarella, salt, pepper, parsley.

Instructions: Begin by preheating your oven to 425 degrees. Cut the potatoes up into ¾ inch cubes. I like to do all my mixing in the dish I plan on using to bake with to eliminate one more dirty dish. So, grab a 9 by 13 inch baking dish and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray (that way you know the bottom of the dish is well coated so the chicken won’t stick.) Add the potatoes and drizzle ¾’s of your olive oil over top along with the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly so the seasonings fully coat the potatoes. Pop them in the oven for 15 minutes. 

Remove the potatoes from the oven and add in the chicken, making them a bed between the potatoes. Brush the tops with the rest of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken reaches a temperature of 160 and the potatoes have browned. 

Add the mozzarella on top and place back in the oven for a minute or two until it is melted. Remove the dish from the oven and garnish with chopped parsley. Enjoy!