sheet-pan chicken and squash

my husband said "damn girl!" when I fed him this meal

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It’s beginning to look a lot like autumnnnnnnn! (Sing that in your best Bing Crosby voice.)

We were due for a REALLY easy, really fast sheet-pan chicken recipe that celebrates the season.

I mentioned this in the “fall in love with squash” post a couple weeks back but I really adore delicata squash. It’s the only winter squash that is really truly easy to cut, you don’t have to peel it because the skin is so tender, and it roasts quickly when thinly sliced like we are going to do here.

We’re tossing it with a bit of maple syrup and some really warm, autumnal feeling spices. Garam masala is a delicious Indian spice blend of coriander, cumin, cloves, and cardamom. Try using it to season your roasted veggies and meats all fall and winter! The one-pot chicken tikka masala stew also features garam masala, so be sure to add that one to your meal plan.

Then we add some onions, which get jammy and crisp on the edges, as well as apples, chicken, nuts, and, finally, goat cheese. We throw the goat cheese on top at the very end so that it gets just a few minutes in the oven to get really warm and soft — it kind of serves as a sauce here.

Delicious, nutritious, and beautiful fall food!

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dinner today, lunch tomorrow!

I just chopped up the chicken, threw the leftovers in the microwave for 30 seconds, and tossed them with 2 cups of mixed greens and a few tablespoons of apple cider vinaigrette. Wow — 10/10 salad!

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sheet-pan chicken recipes worth revisiting

If you’ve been a WTCer for a while, you know that this is NOT our first sheet-pan chicken rodeo. Sheet-pan chicken meals are my absolute favorite way to get a seasonal, flavor-filled, complete-meal dinner on the table quickly and with minimal clean up. Here are others from the archives to revisit or try next: sheet-pan chicken tangine, sheet-pan greek chicken and potatoes, sheet-pan chicken with artichokes and potatoes.

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sheet-pan chicken and squash

Serves 4 to 6

Cook time: ~1 hour

Tools:

• Chef’s knife

• Cutting board

• Full sheet pan or 2 half sheet pans

• Large bowl

• Tongs

Ingredients:

• 2 small delicata squash

• 1 large yellow onion

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 1/4 teaspoons garam masala

• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs (look inside the package — you want at least 1 1/2 thighs per person, so you might need more than 2 pounds!)

• 1 large Honeycrisp apple, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

• 1/2 cup halved and pitted dates (preferably Medjools but any kind works)

• 1/2 cup walnut or pecan halves

• 4 to 8 ounces goat cheese

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley (or any soft green herb, or arugula)

• 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds, AKA arils (optional — if you can’t find pomegranate seeds at your store, don’t worry about buying one and taking the seeds out, that’s too much work for a sheet-pan meal!)

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Trim the ends off of 2 small delicata squash and cut them in half vertically (AKA cut them from end to end). Use a large spoon to scrape the seeds out and discard them. Cut the squash into 1/2 inch-thick half moons.

Trim the ends off 1 large yellow onion and cut it in half, end to end. Peel the skins off, then cut the onion into 1 inch-thick wedges. The layers will fall apart — that’s OK, but, where possible, keep them together.

Go ahead and grab your 1 full or 2 half sheet pans, placing them on the counter beside a large bowl so that you don’t have to wash your hands between steps to go hunting for them in a second…

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, 1 1/4 teaspoons garam masala, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger. Add the cut squash and onions and use clean hands to toss to combine.

Use your hands (don’t dump the bowl) to transfer the squash and onions to a full sheet pan (or 2 half sheet pans). Spread it out into an even layer so nothing is overlapping (do your best — a bit of overlapping won’t kill anyone). Don’t wash the bowl yet!

Place the sheet pan(s) on the center rung of your oven. Roast for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 1 sliced Honeycrisp apple to the bowl and toss to coat all in the marinade that’s left at the bottom of the bowl. If not much is left, drizzle a bit of oil, maple syrup, garam masala, and salt in there. Exact measurements are not even remotely important here — just a nice light coating.

After the squash and onions have roasted for 15 minutes, pull the sheet-pan out and dump the chicken and apples, 1/2 cup halved and pitted dates, and 1/2 cup walnut or pecan halves right on top. Use tongs to toss everything around with the squash, and then spread it back out into an even layer.

Roast for an additional 20 minutes.

Scatter your desired amount of goat cheese (I say go for the full 8 ounces, but you do you!) over top and return the sheet pan to the oven for an additional 1 to 2 minutes, until the goat cheese gets very soft and warm, but not totally melted.

Scatter 1/4 cup chopped parsley and 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds over top and serve immediately, straight off the sheet pan!

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Notes:

• Prep ahead: Slice and chop all your fruits and veggies up to a day in advance, storing them in the fridge (covered). Apples do best sliced right before cooking, but it’s not a big deal if they brown a bit before you roast them. You could also pre-mix your marinade and store it covered in the bowl that you’ll add the squash and onions to when you’re ready to cook!

• Make it a side dish: This is honestly a stunning Thanksgiving or anytime side dish. Just omit the chicken!

• Make it a salad: Serve it over a big bed of arugula tossed with EVOO and lemon juice or my apple cider vinaigrette. Done! Salad! So good!

• Love your leftovers: See the salad note above! Or skip the salad idea and just reheat the meal (in the microwave or oven) and eat it like you did the first go-round. If you plan to have leftovers, just add the parsley and pomegranate seeds to the portion you’re going to eat tonight, then add them just before eating your leftovers, after you’ve warmed them. If you don’t want leftovers and are cooking for one or two, you can easily halve this recipe.

• Have less clean up: If you want to avoid having to wash your sheet pan(s), you can line them with parchment paper before adding the ingredients. Your food won’t brown as well as without parchment, but it will still be delish.

• Vegetarian: Instead of chicken, use a can of rinsed and dried chickpeas, roasted the entire time with the squash.

• Dairy-free/gluten-free: Use a favorite soft and melty dairy-free cheese alternative or just omit for df! And this is a gluten-free meal as written.

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Substitutions:

• Delicata: Any winter squash, cut into thin slices or small cubes. The Trader Joe’s butternut squash zig zags would actually be great here — use 2 boxes of them and only roast for 10 minutes on their own before adding the chicken.

• Yellow onion: White onion, red onion, 2 shallots, or a bunch of leeks. If using leeks, slice them in half vertically then chop into 1-inch chunks (remember to clean them first!).

• EVOO: Olive oil or any other oil you love the taste of

• Maple syrup: Honey or brown sugar

• Fresh thyme leaves: 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, herbes de Provence, Italian seasoning, oregano, or rosemary

• Garam masala: 1 teaspoon cumin + 1/4 teaspoon allspice (OR, instead of allspice: 1/4 teaspoon total of any combination of the following: coriander, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg)

• Ground ginger: 1/2 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger or omit and add some extra garam masala

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: All chicken subs — bone-in skin-on thighs, bone-in or boneless chicken breasts, etc. — as well as pork tenderloin would all be really good here. Whatever you’re swapping in, you’ll need to adjust your cook time and play around with when you add the meat to the sheet pan. In general, boneless cuts of chicken cook faster than bone-in. But beware, they’re also less forgiving if you overcook them! The best across-the-board advice? Google the recommended cook time for the cut of meat you have in front of you (at 425°F) and adjust when you add it to the sheet pan accordingly! Keep your meat thermometer handy and pull your chicken when it hits 165°F — or 145°F for pork tenderloin. Chickpeas are another good protein option (see vegetarian note above).

• Honeycrisp apple: Another variety of crisp apple (Jonagold, Braeburn, Pink Lady, etc.). You could also swap in a pear or 1 1/2 cups of green grapes.

• Halved dates: Dried figs, dried (and pitted) cherries, or raisins

• Walnut or pecan halves: Pistachios, pepitas, almonds slices, cashews … whatever nut or seed you have on hand and love.

• Goat cheese: Feta, big slices of brie — basically any soft, melty cheese. Or skip it of course!

• Parsley: Arugula or another soft green herb

• Pomegranate seeds: Omit if needed

sheet-pan chicken and squash

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