When your family has a packed agenda during the week, it helps to have a well-stocked pantry so you can throw dinner together in a hurry. Nobody wants to first go to the market after work.
Some of my favorite meals are made in a skillet, giving the flavors a chance to blend together to create a magical dish. And the best part of skillet dinners is there’s only one pan to clean. Who doesn’t love that?
I keep a variety of Harry & David relishes stocked and ready for easy recipes that need an extra boost of flavor. A chicken thigh — perhaps the most underrated, yet versatile part of the bird — becomes a culinary dream when simmered in the right sauce; and this Sweet Pepper & Onion Skillet Chicken recipe is the perfect example of how one ingredient can launch a dish onto the top of your list of family favorites. It smells so good, your neighbors will come knocking.
Start by simply pan searing bone-in chicken thighs until the skin is a crispy, golden brown. Then I add a simple sauce that becomes the star of the dish, in this case it’s the Pepper & Onion Relish. Everything’s simmered on the stovetop until the sauce has thickened. Next, top your favorite pasta with the chicken and a huge spoonful of the sauce. Finish it off with a sprinkle of chopped parsley for a dinner that’s worthy of even the swankiest of dinner guests.
Sweet Pepper & Onion Relish Chicken
Ingredients:
- 6 bone-in (skin on chicken thighs)
- 1 jar Harry & David Classic Pepper & Onion Relish
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- fresh parsley (optional)
To Serve
- 1 box pasta (your favorite, cooked)
Instructions:
- Boil pot of salted water for pasta; cook pasta according to directions on the box.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Place them in the hot skillet skin side down. Cook until the skin is crispy and golden brown, approximately 4-5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking for an additional 4-5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock and relish until combined.
- Pour the mixture into the skillet; bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and simmer for 15-17 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
- In a separate bowl, mix the butter and cornstarch together to form a paste. Stir the butter mixture into the sauce and continue cooking until thickened. Stir in the spinach.
- Sprinkle the chicken with parsley and serve over the pasta. Serve immediately.
