Normally I bake chicken breasts as opposed to thighs, but this week I decided to go with chicken thighs. I was also wanting to do a more Italian spice blend with basil, oregano, and thyme. But I’m still happy with the blend in this recipe.
If you are like me and conscious of the fat and calories in your recipes, you probably shy away from chicken thighs because they are higher in fat, which translates into more calories. However; I noticed that I don’t get my afternoon “snack” urge after a hearty lunch.
Therfore as you read, the next section
1. I am not a trained chef or nutritionist.
2. I am not a medical professional.
3. I am not a professional photographer.
Ingredients
Chicken Thighs, about 1 1/2 lbs
1 Sweet Vidalia Onion
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
1 Green Bell Pepper
1 Beefsteak Tomato
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon Paprika
1/2 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Province
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preparation and cooking
- Rinse the chicken thighs and pat dry. I got skinless and boneless.
- Wash the bell peppers and slice.
- Wash the tomato and dice.
- Peal the onion and slice into moons.
- Layer the peppers, onions, and tomato in a baking dish lined with foil.
- Place the thighs on top of the vegetables and drizzle the olive oil over the thighs.
- Mix the dry herbs in a small bowl then sprinkle on top of the entire mixture.
- Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes until the inner tempreature of the thighs reads 165 degrees.
Nutrition
As you can see, using chicken thighs does increase the fat content. However, it also increase the flavor. Chicken thighs can handle bolder spice blends than chicken breasts.
Just a few notes …
The size of produce is so variable it’s hard to guess what to get or how much to buy for a recipe. The onion I purchased was approximately 14 oz and yielded 4 cups of sliced onions. The tomato was 15 oz and yielded 2 cups diced tomatoes. The red, yellow, and orange peppers were all about half the size of the green pepper. I didn’t weigh them but got about 1 cup from the tri-color and 2 cups from the green peppers.
Originally I was going to make this as a 4 serving dish. After I tried to eat the first plate, I realized this is a six serving casserole! It goes well with a side of long grain brown rice. The next time I make this I do want to do the fresh herbs and the italian mix of basil, oregano, and thyme.
Let me know if you try this dish. Did you do the paprika, oreganos and herbes de province or get fresh basil, oregano and thyme?