Apples and Honey Chicken for the holiday you forgot about
One pan apples and honey chicken makes a quick holiday meal. Courtesy of Carly Pildis
By Carly Pildis September 9, 2021
#tweetyourshabbat is a global movement founded by Carly Pildis, celebrating the struggle and joy of getting Shabbat on the table every week. This is a place for real dinners and real conversations about Jewish life. Join us at Forward in sharing what you’ll be eating and how you’re feeling this week at #TweetYourShabbat
The Jewish holidays are a marathon. Ovens groan with briskets, stuffed cabbage, and apple cake, stovetops fill with couscous and matzo ball soup. With so many holidays and so many festive meals, Jewish cooks need an easy recipe in their back pocket that is seasonal, easy, and has minimal clean-up.
If you’re like me, you got home from Rosh Hashanah late Wednesday night and it was total chaos. I was busy unpacking clothes, fixing school lunches, and checking in on what I’d missed over two days offline when I realized Shabbat was coming very soon. I had no plan and no time to cook.
We all have moments like this over the holiday season. Maybe you are all set and organized for Sukkot, but realize you forgot to plan a pre-fast meal for Yom Kippur. Or you are totally set for Yom Kippur and Sukkot, but Simchat Torah completely slipped your mind. While the holidays are joyful, beautiful, and treasured, they are a lot of work and it’s easy to find yourself short of time – and short of a holiday-worthy meal.
When those moments come it’s easy to feel inadequate – like you’re not “Jewish enough” or “good” enough. Especially after weeks of self-reflection and attempts at self-improvement. It can be challenging to balance hosting and celebrating with actually taking time to take stock of where you’re at in life and practice teshuvah. I find it particularly tough to make time for everything in years when the High Holidays collide with back-to-school, and my house becomes a mishmashed clutter of cookbooks, new backpacks, crayons, Kol Nidre tickets, and an etrog buried under that school form I’ve been searching for.
That’s where this recipe comes in, for those “Oh crap, I forgot!” moments. Apples, honey, and butternut squash come together for a recipe that is comforting, special, and undeniably filled with that warm Jewish Holidays feeling. Cinnamon, chicken stock, and sage ensure it is balanced and not too sweet. This one-pan dish also cuts down on cleaning, bringing some much needed sanity to your kitchen during this busy time of year.
Shanah Tovah! May your matzo balls be fluffy, your tahdig crispy, your cakes be light and sweet, your briskets fall apart at even the sight of a fork. Happy New Year, Jewish cooks!
How was your week? How are you spending Shabbat? Let us know at #tweetyourshabbat! Everyone is welcome at this table! Come hungry.
One Pan Apples and Honey Chicken
Ingredients:
4 chicken quarters
2 cups diced peeled parsnip
4 cups butternut squash, diced
1 cup diced red onion
2 cups diced apple
1 cup apple cider
2 cup chicken broth
fresh sage
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 a teaspoon hot smoked paprika
4 tablespoons olive oil
honey (approximately 4 tbs)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Grab a large casserole, roasting pan or Dutch oven. Add 4 cups diced butternut squash, 2 cups diced peeled parsnip, 1 cup diced red onion, 2 cups diced apple. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Add 1 cup apple cider, 2 cups chicken broth, 4 teaspoons diced sage and a teaspoon of cinnamon. Mix and set aside.
In a small bowl combine 2 tablespoons of apple cider, paprika, and olive oil and whisk together. You can definitely add more paprika if you like more of a kick, or even some crushed red pepper. Once combined, slather over chicken evenly. Place chicken on top of the vegetables, drizzle with honey and pop in the oven.
Cook for between 1- 1:15 hours. This makes a great and easy one-pan meal, but you could also serve it over couscous, rice, or farro.
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