JBug's Kitchen Antics: Roasted Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Herbs

Another winner adapted from the Oregonian Cookbook, this one's the perfect choice for the cook that doesn't cook. You know who you are but I'll give you a little hint anyway.

You're the fabulous friend who's been a part of my life for over 30 years; the one who's there solid as a rock during the good times and the mean ones too; the one who always remembers my annual milestone (birthday); the one who has a laugh that lights up the world; and the one who never fails to get a chuckle outa' yours truly - this time with a confession that she visits JBug's Kitchen Antics regularly not for the recipes because she doesn't cook, but to see what's happening in her old pal's life. Now that's a friend, eh?

Well, Judy - here's a perfect solution for one of your family night Saturday dinners - simple bone in chicken thighs, seasoned up with salt, pepper and roasted in a shallow pan along with onion, lots of garlic and cherry tomatoes jazzed up with herbs and a dusting of red pepper flakes. It's simple to make, incredibly easy on the cook and just so you know, the secret is to spread everything out on a shallow pan so there isn't any crowding. A hot oven does the rest of the work.

The cookbook cautioned against allowing the vegetables to overcook and char but I'm here to tell you those caramelized ossified hunks of garlic, onion and tomatoes are like candy...sweet, crisp and oh so darned delicious. I cooked up a mess of packaged gnocchi and finished it in in a saute pan with a little butter, dried sage and parmesan cheese to go with our roasted bird, but pasta, noodles or roasted potatoes would be fabulous too.

Just make a salad, warm up some bread and be prepared for the compliments because they'll be coming your way at the speed of light. Oh, and if you really want to blow their socks off, how about whipping up a little Blueberry Cream Pie like the one I made at the beach this summer? Substitute a can of prepared blueberry pie filling, or even cherry or peach for that matter and you'll have 'em all wondering what other secrets you've been keeping from them.

Roasted Chicken Thighs with Tomatoes and Herbs (from JBug’s Kitchen adapted from Oregonian Cookbook)

Cooking spray

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into quarter inch thick pieces

6 to 8 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole

1-1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon dried thyme or marjoram

Salt and coarse ground black pepper

2-1/2 to 3 pounds bone in chicken thighs, skin left intact (approx. 6 to 8 thighs)

Preheat oven to 450. Spray a shallow baking dish or large sheet pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine garlic, tomatoes, onion, olive oil, red pepper flakes and thyme. Season well with salt and pepper. Toss to coat vegetables with oil.

Wash and dry chicken thighs well. Season with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place in prepared pan, leaving as much room as possible between pieces of chicken – in fact, you can use 2 sheet pans instead of one if you wish. Place tomato mixture around chicken thighs but not on top.

Roast uncovered for 45 to 50 minutes until chicken thighs are golden brown and cooked through. Serve chicken with vegetables and juices. Serves 4.

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