Busy Day Dinner

A few months back I suggested baked (or roasted) chicken for dinner one night. And then realized that Mommy didn't know how to make it. She needed to learn how to do this because it is the easiest dinner you can make. Five minutes or less and it's ready to slide into the oven for an hour. An hour you can use to make the side dishes. Or take a shower. Or bathe the baby. Or just sit down and catch your breath.

You don't always see a recipe for such a basic dish but if you've never done it, you might need a starting place. Big Sister calls it "chicken with juice."  It took me a while to figure out what she was talking about. But it does leave a nice clear broth in the dish.  So here we go...

BAKED CHICKEN

1 package chicken breasts, bone-in, with skin

House seasoning

Wipe chicken pieces off with damp paper towel. 

Place into a baking dish. (A pack typically has 3 breasts which fit into a 9x13-in dish.) 

Sprinkle generously with house seasoning*.

Bake, uncovered, for 1 hour or until done.

*House seasoning:  Mix 1/4 cup salt, 1 tbsp. black pepper & 1 tbsp. garlic powder. Store in an air-tight container, such as an empty spice bottle.

The skin keeps the chicken moist as it bakes. Do not substitute boneless, skinless chicken here! Oh, and the seasoning mix is great on lots of things. I keep it on hand all of the time and use it on most meats and vegetables. Can you get any easier than this? You could serve this on a platter with some parsley tucked in here and there, and maybe a lemon slice or two and it becomes a company dinner. 

When the chicken came out of the oven last night, I was ready to make this side dish. When my girls where little, they both liked this. I liked it because it was easy and it got another vegetable into their tummies. Big Sister tried it for the first time last night and she liked it, too.

CHEESY CAULIFLOWER

1 head cauliflower
shredded cheddar cheese (we like sharp)
Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix

Cut cauliflower into flowerettes (that means smaller pieces) and place into a microwave-safe dish. Sprinkle a little water over it (probably about a tablespoon if you need a measurement.) Cover and cook on HIGH for 4-5 minutes until tender-crisp.
Sprinkle generously with cheese and then sprinkle lightly with stuffing mix. Cook, uncovered, on HIGH for 30 seconds.

And you thought you couldn't get kids to eat cauliflower!