Time for a bit of nostalga.
This is one of those dishes that can feed a family on the cheap and doesn’t take much time to prepare. It’s perfect for a busy family on a budget. The recipe came from the grandmother of a friend of the family and was served in my husband’s house while he was growing up.
As a fair warning, you have to like canned peas which can be described as an acquired taste for some. If you’d like to to make this into a slightly fancier version you could use frozen veggies or even fresh ones. You could also try breast meat instead of thigh, but if you do, you’ll have to figure out how long to cook it for since nostalgia prevents my husband from trying this any other way besides the original.
The one variation my husband is willing to concede is the use of boneless and/or skinless chicken. In fact, he says that the chicken not having skin on it is actually better. Having tried it both ways before he’d let me post about it, we can confirm that the skin doesn’t really make the chicken any more moist or delicious. Also, a lot of people don’t eat the chicken skin these days and removing it takes the flavor of the seasoning with it. If the skin isn’t there to begin with the seasoning ends up directly on the chicken and that’s a win.
Grandma’s Chicken Recipe
(Makes 4 to 6 servings)
Ingredients:
- 2 cans (14.5 ounces each) peas and carrots
- 2 cans (15 ounces each) diced potatoes
- 4 to 8 chicken thighs (I used skinless and boneless.) *See note below.
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* The sizes of each chicken thigh will vary. I’ve made this with 4, 6, and 8 pieces because that’s how they’ve come pre-packaged. Your goal is to have about 2 to 2 and 1/2 pounds of chicken.
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Open and drain the cans of veggies and potatoes, then pour them into a 13×9 inch baking dish.
- Place the chicken pieces on top of the veggies.
- Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper and paprika. Use extra of each to taste.
- Cover the baking dish tightly with tin foil.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.
- Remove the tin foil and bake for another 25-30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165 degrees F.
Source: Grandma P. (family friend)
