Maple Mustard Roasted Chicken

We have no plans this weekend and I’m loving that. We could do anything… or nothing. Aren’t those weekends the best sometimes?

The one thing that I do have on my agenda for the weekend is to hit the gym. Since I don’t have to rush anywhere afterwards maybe I’ll hit a coffee shop afterwards for a treat. The thing is that the parking lot is a monstrosity because it’s small, it’s always crowded, and it’s right off a very busy street that makes it almost dangerous when people try to get in or out of it. I’ve probably said to myself that “I’ll stop for coffee” about 30 times but then I end up driving past it because I don’t feel like dealing with road rage on what was otherwise a calm and peaceful start to the day.

This obviously has nothing to do with this chicken dish, so I’m sorry I rambled a bit. Maybe by putting it out there I’ll stop being a weenie and actually follow through this weekend. 😉

I made this chicken dish last weekend, which is sort of funny to me because I don’t like mustard. Or chicken a lot of the time. But for some reason I felt like trying it and I’m glad that I did because it was super tasty. Does that mean that I do like mustard? I’m going to say no, but I may be slowly changing my mind. I think the maple syrup toned down the “mustard-y” flavor. I also think that the maple mustard sauce is a subtle flavor, which I prefer. Perhaps if the chicken was marinated in the sauce for some time then the flavors might be more prominent (if that’s what you’re going for).

A note on the veggies… The chicken juice and maple mustard sauce makes the veggies tender and slightly sweet. If you like your veggies crispy then cook them on a separate baking sheet. I tried both methods and I like them both. I don’t think that you can go wrong either approach but I wanted to note the options in case you have a preference.

Maple Mustard Roasted Chicken Recipe
(Makes 3 to 4 servings)

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 tablespoons mustard (I used spicy brown mustard.)
1 and 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
sprinkling of salt
sprinkling of pepper
4 chicken thighs, with skin and bone
3 cups chopped butternut squash
half of a white onion sliced
1/2 bunch of asparagus (tough ends chopped off)
1 tablespoon oil

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard, maple syrup, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Pour about half of the mustard sauce into another small bowl. This is reserved for coating the chicken later (i.e. when the chicken is cooked and not raw).
Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
Brush the mustard sauce all over the chicken thighs. (From only one of the containers now holding the sauce, you definitely don’t want to repeatedly dip a brush in the sauce and then apply it to the cooked chicken later, that’s a recipe for getting sick.)
Place the chicken thighs on a large baking sheet.
In a large bowl, mix together the chopped butternut squash, sliced onion, asparagus, oil, salt and pepper.
Add the vegetables to the baking sheet. (If you are making more veggies than I did, just cram whatever will fit in a single layer onto the pan.)
Bake for about 26 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. If you have a cooking thermometer the temperature of the chicken should be 165 degrees.
Remove the chicken and vegetables from the oven and turn the oven to broil (on high if your oven has more than one setting for broil).
Brush the reserved mustard sauce on top of the chicken and then place it back into the oven to cook for about 3 minutes or until the skin is crispy to your liking.