Weeknight Chicken: Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower & Chickpeas

Here is a great roasted chicken recipe — perfect for the fall weather!  The dish takes about an hour to cook but has minimal prep work so it is definitely doable on a weeknight.

I made two minor additions to the recipe.  In addition to seasoning the chicken with salt and pepper, I also sprinkled it with some Italian seasoning for a little extra flavor.  I also added a couple of tablespoons of capers for the final five minutes of roasting.  I love the combo of cauliflower and capers.

The chicken was perfectly cooked — nice and juicy — and the veggies were delicious.  Although next time, I’ll use smaller florets — not all of the cauliflower was as tender as I would have liked.

Enjoy!

Roasted Chicken with Cauliflower & Chickpeas
Everyday Food

• 1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), rinsed, patted dry, and cut into 8 pieces
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes
• 1 small head cauliflower, cored and cut into 2-inch florets
• 1 large red onion, cut into wedges
• 1 can (15.5 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained

Place a rimmed baking sheet in oven and preheat to 450 degrees, with racks in upper and middle thirds. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Carefully remove sheet from oven and arrange chicken, skin side up, in a single layer. Roast on upper rack, 20 minutes.

Remove chicken from oven and, with tongs, transfer to another rimmed baking sheet along with tomatoes. Add cauliflower, onion, and chickpeas to drippings on first sheet and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper. Roast chicken on upper rack and vegetables on middle rack until chicken is golden and cooked through and cauliflower is tender when pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes. Transfer chicken and vegetables to a serving dish and serve immediately.

Note: Roasting the chicken on a preheated pan saves time and helps the meat brown. You don’t need to add oil to the vegetables; they cook in the drippings from the chicken.