One-Pan Chicken and Rice with Honeynut Squash

We’re all starting to focus on the upcoming holidays, but we still need to eat everyday, don’t we?!  This, of course, is part of what can make the holidays stressful to so many.

So, I present to you a ONE PAN meal (hello, easy cleanup!) that is easy to make, delicious, balanced, and makes great leftovers!  That’s right – make your life easy and take advantage of leftovers if you’re lucky enough to have any.

Keep this recipe in your dinner arsenal through the holiday season when you need to make something quick and delicious, but also something you can feel good about!

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!

One-Pan Chicken and Rice with Honeynut Squash

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 tbsp avocado oil

2 tbsp butter, divided

4-6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on

1 onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

1 small honeynut squash

4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed

1 ½ cups basmati rice

1 cup apple cider

1 ½ cups chicken stock

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Preparation

1. Prep the squash.  Slice off the top and bottom and peel the entire squash. Cut the squash in half, lengthwise and remove the seeds. Cut into strips and then cut those strips into a small dice. This part is important: the squash has to be sufficiently small because it needs to cook in the same time as the rice.
2. Sear the chicken. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating up, season both sides of the chicken thighs with a generous amount of salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add one tablespoon of avocado oil and one tablespoon of butter. Add the chicken, skin side down, and let them cook, undisturbed, until they are deeply golden brown—about 5 minutes.
3. Prep the rest of the vegetables.  While the chicken is searing, finely dice the onion and garlic, and strip the leaves from the sprigs of thyme.
4. When the chicken is golden brown, flip it and let it cook for about 2 minutes, then transfer it to a plate. NOTE: the chicken will not be fully cooked at this point.
5. Add the onions and squash and season them with salt and pepper and let them cook until they are starting to soften and turn brown.
6. Next, add the garlic and half of the thyme and cook for two additional minutes.
7. Cook the rice. Add the rice and stir it around and let it toast in the pan for a couple of minutes.
8. Add the liquid.  Add the cider and stock and season with salt and pepper.
9. Finally, add the chicken back to the pan on top of everything.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat as low as it will go, cover the pan and let it cook for 15 minutes.  When 15 minutes are up, turn off the heat and let the pan sit, covered, for 5 minutes.
10. Serve.  Fluff the rice with a fork in between the chicken pieces, and little bits of the remaining butter to the rice.  Sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and serve. ENJOY!

Notes:

• Substitute butternut squash or delicata squash for the honeynut squash if you can’t find it.
• Substitute vegetable stock for chicken stock, if you prefer.
  

Hello, I’m Natalie!  I’m a professionally-trained chef, culinary instructor and recipe developer living in Ann Arbor. A career change, a trip through culinary school 20 years ago, and being a lifelong Julia Child enthusiast has led me to a career doing my very favorite thing:  making food and cooking approachable to home cooks of all ages!   

My passion for creating great food experiences and getting people excited about learning and having fun in the kitchen is always at the heart of what I do.  You can find my blog at NatalieMarbleCooks.com. And on social media you can find me at @NatalieMarbleCooks. Sign up for my email newsletter here, where I share family-friendly recipes, tips & tricks, new class information, and hopefully a little inspiration!