I see you, Thursday night. You think I’m going to fold – buy a frozen pizza, hit a drive-thru, pretend popcorn is an acceptable dinner. Nope. Not today, Thursday. Today, we make a full dinner: protein, carb and veg, all with flavor and minimal clean up.
One-Skillet Chicken Dinner
Makes 2 hearty or 4 light servings
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tsp. smoked paprika
½ tsp. cumin
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 Tbsp. plus 1 tsp. vegetable oil, divided
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
4 cups baby spinach
2 cups new potatoes (look for ones smaller than a pingpong ball or cut them in half)
¼ cup water
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. white wine vinegar
• Mix together the garlic powder, salt, smoked paprika, cumin and pepper in a small bowl. Evenly cover the chicken thighs with the spice mix.
• Place a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet and heat until shimmering, but not smoking. Add the chicken thighs skin side-down, to the skillet. Cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook another 4 to 5 minutes, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165 degrees. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover it with foil.
• Add the remaining 1 teaspoon oil, if needed, and the potatoes to the skillet, stirring until well coated with the pan drippings.Cover and cook 3 to 4 minutes.
• Add the water and rosemary and cover. Cook 5 to 7 minutes, shaking occasionally, until a fork goes easily into the potatoes. Remove the potatoes from the skillet and set aside.
• Add the spinach to pan, tossing until coated with pan drippings. Add the vinegar and saute until the spinach has wilted and is bright green.
• To serve, evenly divide the chicken, potatoes and spinach among the plates. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Dee Ryan is a longtime contributor to Sauce Magazine.
This article appears in June 2018.