From my Kitchen to Yours

THIS POST HAS BEEN UPDATED.

I have a confession to make. While the kitchen is generally a place of warmth and comfort, I have a love-dislike relationship with cooking. Mostly I welcome the creative outlet. I like trying new recipes and doing a riff off an old favorite. Other times I resist the urge to run screaming from the room when Hubs asks, “What’s for supper?” I think it’s the “cooking on demand” aspect that’s a turnoff.

For times like these when I must come up with something and I don’t feel like spending hours in the kitchen, I have a few faithful standbys. Today I share one with you: Roasted Chicken Thighs.

Roasted Chicken Thighs

serves 2 – 4

–4 frozen chicken thighs bone in and with skin

–2 – 4 tablespoons of chilled bacon grease (keep it in the fridge ’til it becomes solid)

–seasonings: salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder

Preheat oven to 375. Take the frozen thighs and place them in a baking pan skin side up, not overcrowding them. (A 9 x 13 would work well.) Smear bacon grease over the top and sides of them. Season with salt, pepper, onion and garlic powders to taste. Place thighs in the oven and roast until the skin is golden brown, approximately 80 – 90 minutes.

Notes: I have used thawed chicken thighs and grease drippings from my morning bacon, and it will work (adjust baking time accordingly), but what makes the frozen thighs and chilled bacon grease work so well is that the grease sticks to the meat longer, resulting in a crispy skin with all that bacon-y goodness. When serving, I spoon some of the pan drippings over my meat for even more flavor.

Ovens vary widely, and if yours tends to run hotter than most, you might start checking about an hour into cooking time.

For a side dish, I sometimes add frozen green beans in the pan, roughly halfway through the cooking. I hasten to add I like my green beans cooked thoroughly. No crunch for me! A fresh garden salad works equally well for a side.

Sorry I have no pictures to go with the recipe. At a later date I will repost and do it proper. If you give it a try, leave me a comment.

Like this simple meal? You might also enjoy 4-Ingredient Simple Pizza.