Kid Time

Take the stress out of weeknight dinner prep and cleanup with this super simple, sweet and sour Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Vegetables.

Getting dinner on the table every single night for a family of five is tough. It makes it even tougher when you have 5 distinct food critics that you have to appease every night. Add in the extra parameter of wanting a healthy meal and you have a near impossible task.

I totally understand the appeal of sheet pan dinners. Throw everything you need for one meal on a sheet pan to cook in the oven. And clean up?! This the BEST part of sheet pan dinners. ONE PAN TO CLEAN UP.

Oh yeah, this momma loves this concept.

This recipe for Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Vegetables is oh so simple. You do have to marinate the chicken thighs first, but that extra step is definitely worth it.

You can easily whip up the marinade in the morning, it takes only a few minutes. Pour the marinade and chicken in a resealable bag and place in the refrigerator before you leave the house for work, carpool or all the other crazy things you have planned for the day.

The marinade is a combination of balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, stone ground mustard and garlic. You reserve part of the marinade for the veggies later, but most of it goes for marinating the chicken thighs.

You only need a minimum of 3 hours, but the longer the chicken sits in the marinade the better the flavor. I tried this recipe with the chicken in this marinade overnight as well as just a few hours.

For a family of four, you can easily use one sheet pan for everything. But since I have five of us and my kids are teenagers with BIG appetites, I doubled the recipe and split it up into two sheet pans.

Even with two sheet pans, this meal was super simple to throw together.

The beauty of balsamic vinegar when you are roasting meat in it in the oven is that everything caramelizes. The sweet and sour effect your chicken and vegetables take on is really incredible. You can use any red balsamic vinegar in this recipe.

There are some terrific infused flavors like orange and strawberry balsamic vinegars that would work really well with these ingredients. So feel free to experiment with your favorite balsamic vinegar.

Garnish with some fresh oregano, or if you prefer rosemary or basil they would pair beautifully with this dish, too. Fresh herbs always liven up a meal.

Family dinners are precious times to bond and share stories. It shouldn’t be stressful. Hopefully this Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Vegetables dinner will help the whole family enjoy these special moments.

Author:

Laura Bashar | Family Spice

Take the stress out of weeknight dinner prep and cleanup with this super simple, sweet and sour Sheet Pan Balsamic Chicken with Vegetables.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup stone ground mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 chicken thighs
• 1/2 lb Dutch baby yellow potatoes
• 8 oz Brussels sprouts
• 8 oz whole mushrooms
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges

Directions:

1. In a large bowl whisk together:

• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup stone ground mustard
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper

Place in a large resealable bag:

Pour 1 cup of the marinade over the chicken, seal bag, and squish chicken around to spread it evenly. Refrigerate 3-8 hours.

Reserve remaining 1/2 cup of marinade for vegetables.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Place the chicken on a large sheet pan.

Place in a large bowl:

• 8 oz Brussels sprouts
• 8 oz whole mushrooms
• 1 red onion, cut into wedges

Coat vegetables in remaining marinade then spread evenly on baking sheet with chicken.

Roast in the oven until food is caramelized, about 40 minutes. About 20 minutes in, stir up vegetables so they brown evenly.

Prep Time: 10 mins plus 3-8 hour marinade time