Lemon Herbed Chicken with Roasted Fall Veggies

So it's a CRAZY busy week, surprise...no really, crazier than normal.  The kids are out of school one day, they ALL go to the dentist another, we have birthday parties, plans with friends and even company coming.  Today I had a parent/teacher conference late in the day, and needed an easy, prep-ahead dinner, so I chose this one!  This is pretty much how I also fix my Thanksgiving Turkey, the only difference is that I stuffed the juiced citrus fruits into the cavity of the turkey before roasting!

I made everything for this while the kids were in school and had it ready to pop in before leaving for my meeting!  My hubs kept watch and it was practically done when I got back!

What you need...

Lemon Herbed Chicken
8 bone-in chicken thighs, with skin
1 stem of fresh Rosemary
small handful fresh Parsley, chopped
handful of Thyme sprigs
the zest & juice of 1 orange
the zest & juice of 2 lemons
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, smashed & chopped
salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 425F.  Rinse the chicken and separate the skin, gently pulling it away from the meat, fold it back and place thighs into baking dish.  Salt and pepper generously.
For the Rosemary & Thyme, if you gently pull the leaves backwards against the stems, they will come off.  Don't worry about if you have some Thyme sprigs, they will cook down or can easily be pulled out.  I barely chop these fresh herbs, just enough to release the scents and flavors.  However, roughly chop the Parsley.  Add the herbs to a small bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix with a whisk.  Using a large spoon, place a spoonful of the herb mixture on top of each thigh, and drizzle remaining mixture on top.  Gently pull the skin back to cover the herb mixture.  Cover with foil and place in the center of the oven.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Then uncover, move to the top rack and cook for 15 minutes longer or until mat reaches an internal temperature of 165F and skin is browned.

What you need!

Place in a baking dish, gently pull back the skin, exposing the meat, salt and pepper generously.

Chop the fresh herbs and combine remaining ingredients.  Whisk to combine.

Add a spoonful of the herb mixture to each thigh then drizzle remaining.

Replace skin to cover thighs.  Cover loosely with foil.

Bake for 45 minutes, then move to top rack and bake for 15 minutes longer or until internal temp reaches 165 and skin is browned.  Don't hesitate to broil them for 2 minutes to finish if your skin isn't quite browned, but don't walk away!!!!
Yum!

Roasted Veggies
2 sweet potatoes, peeled & chopped into bite sized pieces
1 onion, chopped
2 cups brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved
2 cups cauliflower, cut into bite sized pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 425F.  Add all veggies to a large bowl, drizzle with olive oil, add salt, pepper, & paprika and toss to coat or cover and shake until coated.  Pout out onto a baking sheet and place into oven.  Shake to toss or toss with a spatula every 15 minutes.  Bake for 45 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are fork tender. Serve.

Chop the veggies and add them to a large bowl.  Toss with oil and spices.

Turn out onto baking sheets and bake for 45 minutes.

They are done when the sweet potatoes are fork tender.

Serve.