Baked Artichoke Chicken

I first saw a variation of this recipe on pinterest, and I LOVED the idea of it all. Here it goes: put some vegetables (including artichoke hearts, which I adore) on the bottom of a pan, place chicken on the veggies, top it all off with a flavorful sauce, and bake. Why is this so amazing?! First of all, it's super easy to throw together. Then, as it bakes (and you walk away), the oven does the work for you: the sauce seeps into the chicken; the chicken drippings and sauce marinate the vegetables as they cook; a delightful sauce with a combination of these flavors coats the entire dish.

As you take the dish out of the oven, you will be amazed at how things have changed since you first walked away. Finally, you just grab a plate, throw on some veggies & a piece of chicken, and get yourself some carbs to soak up the tangy sauce in which the entire dish is now bathing.

My contribution is the sauce, featuring ingredients such as white wine, Dijon mustard, and tarragon. It makes the entire dish burst with flavor, and complements the artichoke and chicken perfectly. I also made sure to include a printable recipe below -- I've been forgetting to do that; so hopefully that helps for those who like to cook from an easy-to-read hard copy!

Now, onto the good, no great, stuff... 


** BAKED ARTICHOKE CHICKEN ** 
4-6 Servings
Printable Recipe

Ingredients
* 3-4 lbs. chicken pieces, bone-in & skin-on (I used leg and breast pieces, but you can use any of your favorite chicken pieces)
* 1-14 oz. can water-packed artichoke hearts, drained & lightly patted dry
* 1 large yellow onion, large diced
* 1 pound white mushrooms, halved or quartered

White Wine-Dijon Sauce
* ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
* ½ cup white wine
* ¼ cup Dijon mustard
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* ¼ teaspoon dried thyme (or ½ teaspoon fresh)
* ¼ teaspoon dried tarragon
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ¼ teaspoon pepper
* 1 bay leaf

Directions
* Preheat oven to 375-400F (It depends how big your chicken pieces are; I went to 400 because my leg pieces were quite large, but if you use drumsticks or thighs, I would recommend 375). 

* Layer the onions, mushrooms, and artichoke hearts on the bottom of your pan.

* Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetable layer.

* Whisk together the sauce ingredients.
* Pour the sauce over the entire dish, making sure it's coated well on the skin of the chicken. Place the bay leaf somewhere on the vegetables.

* Sprinkle the top of the chicken with additional salt and pepper.
* Bake for about 1 hour, until the skin is golden-brown and crispy. (If so inclined, you can  also baste the chicken with sauce on bottom of the pan about 1/2 and 3/4 way through the cooking time).

* Before serving, let sit for about 15 minutes.

* Aaaaand your ready to eat fresh! Serve with any kind of grain, pasta, or bread to soak up that delightful sauce!! 

 ~ Leah

Recipe adapted from here.