Italian Inspired Recipes, Main Dish, Poultry, Recipes

Italian Seasonings Make This Chicken Awesome

A couple of weeks ago, I happened to catch Rachel Ray’s afternoon talk show and she was making this chicken dish that is seasoned like sausage.  It sounded delicious and it also included butternut squash and Brussels sprouts, so I had to try it.  As near as I could jot down while drooling over the picture on mt TV, this is Rachel’s basic recipe.  All I’ve done is adjust the proportions a little and calculate the carbs in it.

I actually made this dish with four chicken quarters — thigh and leg – which were pretty large.   You can also use four whole chicken breasts or 8 half breasts.

Italian Seasoned Chicken Bake

Based on Rachel Ray’s recipe

2 cups Butternut Squash, cubed
1 Red Onion, sliced
2 cups Brussels Sprouts, halved
8 chicken thighs
1/2 teaspoon grated Nutmeg
3 tablespoons Olive oil
1/2 teaspoon Fennel
1/2 teaspoon powdered Onions
1/2 teaspoon Chile Flakes
1/2 teaspoon powdered Garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground Sage
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (F.)

Spray a baking pan with cooking spray.

Arrange the Brussels sprouts face down on the pan. Add the diced butternut squash and onions and sprinkle nutmeg over the top. Drizzle one tablespoon of the oil over the top.

Clean, dry and oil the chicken thighs in a pan or large bowl. In a small bowl, mix together all the remaining seasonings. Sprinkle over the chicken thighs., then use your hands to turn and coat the chicken until the seasonings are distributed over the thighs. Place the thighs on top of the vegetables in the pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes until the chicken is done and the vegetables are tender.

Makes 4 to 8 servings depending on your appetite. I usually only eat one chicken thigh, but two per serving is okay.

Nutrition Info: 1/4 of recipe
Calories: 274.3 Fat:9.3 g Net Carbs: 13.2 g Protein: 30.2 g

Nutrition Info: 1/8 of recipe
Calories: 137.2 Fat:4.6 g Net Carbs: 6.6 g Protein: 15.1 g

Tip: To get down to the lower carb count and still eat 2 chicken thighs, cut the vegetable amounts in half. They are adding double the serving so using less still gives you about 1/3 cup of vegetables with the thighs. Using only half will bring the carbs down to 7 g.