Clay Pot Chicken for Easy Entertaining

Clay Pot Chicken

Treasured cookware is the theme this month for Recipe Redux.  I decided to pull out my clay cooker that my oldest brother gave me over 25 years ago.  It’s a Romertopf clay baker.

Romertopf Clay Baker

Clay pots have been around for centuries in all parts of the world. Clay pot cooking can be healthy as some recipe call for very little fat. The moisture in the pot (from soaking) helps the cooked food stay moist, making your finished dish more flavorful, tender and succulent.

I decided to do a classic baked chicken using one of the recipes that came with the dish. However, I modified it (imagine that) to use chicken parts instead of a whole chicken and I added more veggies.   I used chicken thighs and split chicken breasts that were both on sale. This recipe is perfect for entertaining company because everything gets cooked together in one pot. You can assemble the dish ahead of time and then it cooks, unattended, for about an hour and 15 minutes. No basting or watching  required.

According to The Best of Clay Pot Cooking by Dana Jacobi, there are six rules of cooking in clay.

Clay Pot Cooking by Dana Jacobi

1. Always soak unglazed pots completely submerged in water before using. Soak new pots for 30 minutes; after that, 15 minutes.
2. Never subject a clay pot to quick or extreme changes in temperature. (That’s why you put it in a cold oven and bring it up to the desired temperature.) Don’t add cold liquid to a hot pot.
3. When opening a pot after cooking, tilt the cover away from you to prevent steam from hitting your face.
4.  Use long oven-proof mitts when handling a hot clay pot. 
5. Don’t store food in a clay pot; the flavors will seep into the clay.
6.  Never use scouring powder or steel wool on a clay pot. Scrub with a fiber or nylon pad(or a stiff brush).

Individual Serving of Clay Pot Chicken

Here is the complete recipe.

Clay Pot Chicken

Ingredients:

1 medium onion, peeled and cut into wedges

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks

4 carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch slices

3 inner stalks and leaves of celery

4 lbs. chicken parts (with or without skin)

Non-stick cooking spray

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Directions:

Soak clay dish in water to cover for 15 minutes. Place, onion, sweet potato, gold potatoes, carrot, and celery onto bottom of clay pot. Place chicken pieces in single layer on top of vegetables.  Spray chicken with non-stick spray and season top of pieces with rosemary and thyme. Cover and place in cold oven turned to 450 degrees for about 75 minutes, or until chicken registers 165 degrees on meat thermometer.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition Information per Serving:

301 calories, 8 g total fat, 2 g saturated fat, 86 mg cholesterol, 4 g dietary fiber, 31 g protein, and 153 mg sodium. One serving of this low cost recipe provides an excellent source of protein, vitamin A and C, niacin and B-6 and a good source of riboflavin, thiamin, and fiber.

Cost per Serving: $1.41

Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except  potatoes which were on sale for $2.99 for a 5-pound bag.

An InLinkz Link-up

Pizza for the New Year

Pumpkin Chili Chicken Pizza

The theme for Recipe Redux for January is pizza. Everyone loves pizza. There are an infinite number of ways to make pizza. Almost anything goes. For me, I love a hearty, thick crust pizza in winter. I also like thin and crispy, but when it is cold outside and you are looking for something warm and filing, deep dish works for me. This is a pumpkin chicken chili pizza and is very hearty.

Pumpkin Chili Chicken Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pound ground chicken

1/2 large onion, peeled and diced
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 cup shredded raw pumpkin
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 (15 oz) can kidney beans, reduced sodium if possible, rinsed and drained
1 Tbsp chili powder, or to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 thin 12-inch ready-to-cook whole wheat pizza crusts (such as Boboli or other brand)
2 tsp olive oil
1 (15 oz) can pizza sauce, (look for brand with the lowest sodium)
2 cups shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, cook chicken over medium heat until browned. Drain if needed. Stir in onion, bell pepper, pumpkin, and garlic. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in beans and seasonings. Set aside. Place pizza crusts on pizza pans or baking sheets. Brush pizza crust with olive oil. Divide pizza sauce evenly between 2 pizza crusts and spread into an even layer. Divide chicken chili mixture evenly between the 2 pizzas and spread into an even layer. Top each pizza with 1 cup shredded cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Remove and cut each pizza into 8 wedges.

Makes 8 servings (2 wedges each).

Preparation Note: You can use your favorite pizza dough from scratch, if preferred.

Nutrition Information per Serving:
444 calories, 16 g total fat, 6.5 g saturated fat, 69 mg cholesterol, 7 g dietary fiber, 26 g protein, and 448 mg sodium. One serving of this recipe provides an excellent source of vitamins A and C, calcium and fiber and a good source of vitamins B-6 and niacin. Note: sodium could be reduced further if homemade pizza crust was used and kidney beans were cooked from scratch instead of using canned.

Cost per Serving: $1.73
Pricing Note: all ingredients were at “regular” prices except ground chicken was $2.99 a pound and cheese was on sale for $1.50 for 8-ounce package of shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese.

Click here to download and print a copy of this recipe.

Be sure to check out these other pizza creations.