Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Chicken & Vegetables

Chicken breasts smothered in a homemade Honey Dijon sauce and surrounded by peppers,  green beans, and red onion. A one pan wonder!

With all that's been going on between our Presidential Election and the up rise in Covid-19 an easy dinner is what I reach for on a weeknight.  Let's take the "stress" out of cooking with an easy sheet pan dinner!

SHEET PAN HONEY DIJON CHICKEN & VEGETABLES

I love one pot cooking, don't you? Whether that cooking vessel is a skillet, wok, instant pot, slow cooker, or a sheet pan I am there!  OMG! there is nothing worse that cleaning up 5,362 dishes from cooking and that can easily happen when you have a lot of prep work and ingredients that are cooked separately.  Sheesh, I'm getting tired just thing about all of that!

That's why sheet pan dinners are genius.  They truly are....because everything is cooked on one pan, in the oven, and mostly at the same time.  It really is a simple way to put a tasty and satisfying dinner on the table with little effort, and the clean up is a BREEZE!  The prep is usually minimal for this type of meal.  A little chop here and there, but actually a lot of them are really dump and go.  I'm all for that, cause when there is a lot going on and I'm tired from the day I don't care to have to "think" to much about how to get a tasty dinner on the table.

For this meal chicken breasts are smothered in a homemade Honey Dijon sauce and surrounded by peppers,  green beans, and red onion.  Even the vegetables are doused with this delectable sauce!

The end result is a heavenly tasty chicken & vegetable dish that's done in under 30 minutes!  Now who doesn't love that?  

Enjoy!

Sheet Pan Honey Dijon Chicken & Vegetables

serves 3-4

3 boneless skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper to taste 
2 lemons
1/3 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup water
1/2 pound fresh green beans, trimmed
6 miniature sweet bell peppers, sliced into rings

Preheat oven to 425°. Pound your chicken to an even thickness about 1/2".  I cut the breasts in half crosswise. But you may leave them whole.

Place chicken on a greased 15x10 baking pan with a rim. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Thinly slice 1 lemon and place them over the chicken. Cut the remaining lemon crosswise in half; squeeze juice into a small bowl. Whisk in oil, honey, mustard, garlic and paprika. Pour half the sauce over the chicken.  Reserve remaining sauce for the beans.  Bake 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine beans, sweet peppers, remaining sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste, tossing to coat. 

Remove the chicken from the oven and arrange vegetables around chicken in the pan. Bake until chicken is 165 degrees and beans are tender,  another 15-20 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Restaurant Style Buttermilk Waffles

Golden brown waffles with crispy edges yet tender inside, doused with hot maple syrup will rival those of your favorite restaurant.

Although its fall, it's getting pretty chilly around here, and we even had rain. This weather makes me want to hunker down and enjoy a hot comforting breakfast of waffles, restaurant style!  You know the ones that are so tender but hold up well with crispy edges?  Yesssss, no floppy waffles here!

RESTAURANT STYLE BUTTERMILK WAFFLES

These waffles will rival even your favorite restaurant waffles. They are made with a (secret) ingredient that keeps them crispy on the edges yet tender in the middle! Yum!  Nothing fancy here, but that secret ingredient is cornstarch. Cornstarch added to the dry ingredients helps keep the edges crispy,  like you get from your favorite restaurant. 

Easy to pull together on the weekend and with excellent results.  Make sure to enjoy these waffles soon.  They freeze beautifully and can be re-heated in the toaster.  

Whether eaten warm with maple syrup, or with fresh berries and whipped cream, these waffles are a winner.  The tangy buttermilk give them so much flavor!  You can even use these as a dessert waffle with some ice cream, sliced bananas, and chocolate syrup or even caramel drizzled over the top.

Enjoy!

Restaurant Style Buttermilk Waffles 

serves 8

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, melted butter and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients  to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Preheat a waffle maker according to manufacturer's instructions. Grease with non-stick spray.  Pour  batter into the hot waffle maker and cook until golden brown.  Continue until all waffles are done.  Serve immediately with desired toppings.

Apple Cider Muffins

The BEST Fall muffins are filled with apple cider and bursting with tart apple bites.  Hot from the oven these muffins will leave you warm and cozy!

My Fall baking continues.  Since I baked a pumpkin dish last time (Essential Pumpkin Bread) I thought I would switch it up to my other favorite fall flavor...Apples!  Boy how I love apples, and it doesn't matter how they are made I just love the flavor.  I even look for apple flavored sparkling water I love them so much.

APPLE CIDER MUFFINS

Let's take my basic muffin recipe and tweak it into something heavenly for fall.  With ingredients like apple cider, apple chunks, cinnamon, and a cinnamon sugar topping how can we go wrong?  One bowl and a few ingredients and you are on your way to the best Fall muffins around.  A quick bake in the oven and breakfast is on the table in under 30 minutes.

Perfect for breakfast, a Autumn brunch, grab and go snacks, or even as a warm dessert with a little vanilla ice cream (I won't tell!).   We just loved the moist rich flavors of these muffins and will all the warming spices they were dare I say...perfect!

Enjoy!

Apple Cider Muffins

small batch - 6-7 muffins

1 egg
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup canola oil
1 Tablespoon boiled cider (optional)
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tart apple (such as jazz or granny smith), cored and peeled, diced small

Topping:

1/4 cup sugar

1/1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

In a large bowl add the egg, apple cider, and oil and boiled apple cider (if using).  Mix together using a whisk.

Add the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Stir just until combined.  Do not over mix.  Fold in the diced apples.  

Using a cookie scoop, add batter to the individual muffin tins.  Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on the tops of each muffin.  Bake 18-20 minutes.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the tin.  Serve warm or at room temperature.