Chicken, Chorizo, & Veggie Tray Bake (Recipe)
I love tray bakes. They are by far the easiest thing I make in the kitchen that can serve a crowd and still have leftovers. With only a little time, you can place any meat you want on the tray, chop up any veggies you have lying around, added some spices, and after about 45 minutes in an oven you’ve got dinner ready. Having made various renditions of tray bakes over the years, I have a favorite that I make that C gets really excited to come home to. It’s spicy, and packed with the kind of flavor that makes it seem like you spent hours on it, but really you were watching old episodes of Gilmore Girls while it cooked.
Preparation:
2 pounds of chicken (any cut, but I prefer the boneless skinless chicken thighs)
2 large chorizo sausages (if you can’t find that any kind will do)
Baby carrots (Handful)
1 red pepper (or any color pepper)
1 or 1/2 red onion (again any kind will do, use 1 or half depending on size of onion)
Red potatoes (2 handfuls)
Sriracha
Whole grain mustard
Salt
Pepper
Garlic powder
Cavender’s All-Purpose Seasoning
Spicy Cajun seasoning
Dried oregano
Dried basil
Zest of 1 orange (or lemon or lime! I saw Nigella Lawson put orange zest on a tray bake similar to this once, and it is a game changer!)
* The reason why I just listed ingredients and gave an idea of measurements rather than clear measurements is because I want you to work with what you’ve got, and what you like. If you’ve got 2 huge pans you’ll use more, and if you LOVE onions heck, add 2 for all I care! Use the spices liberally or lightly; it’s up to you!
Performance:
I began by putting all my chicken in a zip-lock bag. Then I put a hefty squirt of sriracha and grain mustard in the bag, along with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. I set that aside and let it marinate while I cut up the chorizo and veggies. Once everything was chopped up, I added everything to 2 pans lined with non-stick tin foil (I use this because I don’t want to add oil since the chorizo already has fat in it and will help everything roast nicely.) On top of this I shimmied all the spices: Cavender’s all purpose seasoning, spicy Cajun seasoning, dried oregano, and dried basil. To finish, I grated the zest of 1 orange (use any citrus you have lying around) on top, and popped it in a 400 degree over for about 45 minutes. We piled the tray bake on plates, and felt spoiled on a week night!
