Chef notes
If you’re craving a comforting roast chicken dinner without all the fuss, this sheet pan recipe might be what you’ve been looking for. It’s one of those meals where you can just stick it in the oven and forget about it until the timer goes off. And with only eight ingredients, it still manages to check every box to make it a satisfying meal — it has a good amount of protein, vegetables and carbohydrates.
Since potatoes take the longest time to cook, roasting those before working on anything else. Once the spuds are well on their way, add the protein (in this case, boneless skinless chicken breasts) and vegetable (broccoli rabe) to the sheet pan. For the chicken, season it well and spread each piece with a spoonful of store-bought pesto to amp up the flavor, though you could use chicken thighs here, if you prefer. Even thick-cut fish would work for seafood lovers.
Broccoli rabe, also known as rapini, is actually more closely related to turnips than broccoli. It’s a cruciferous vegetable that looks a lot like baby broccoli, but with big leafy greens attached at the stems. It has a rather bitter flavor that mellows out when roasted. Other cruciferous vegetables such as tender broccoli, Brussels sprouts or even sliced cabbage would pair perfectly with the chicken and potatoes in this dish.
We like to plop a few mozzarella balls onto the sheet pan before serving. This is optional, but it adds a level of creaminess that is delicious with the roasted broccoli rabe. And of course, mozzarella will always complement the flavor of pesto.
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds baby red potatoes, rinsed and halved
- 1 (7-ounce) container basil pesto
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 bunch (about 12 ounces) broccoli rabe, rinsed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 (8-ounce) container mozzarella balls, drained (optional)
- flaky sea salt, for garnish
Preparation
1.Preheat the oven to 400 F.
2.Toss the baby potatoes with one tablespoon pesto in a large bowl. Arrange in a single layer on 1/3 of a large rimmed sheet pan. Cook for 15 minutes.
3.Pat the chicken breasts dry and brush with about 1 teaspoon pesto per chicken breast. Toss the broccoli rabe with the olive oil and kosher salt in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts and broccoli rabe to the sheet pan. Cook for 15 minutes more, then stir the broccoli rabe and potatoes.
4.Continue to cook for 10 to 15 minutes more, until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the largest chicken breast registers 165 F.
5.Remove from the oven. Brush the chicken and potatoes with additional pesto and sprinkle the broccoli rabe with flaky sea salt. If desired, add mozzarella balls to each serving and serve immediately.
