Every spring, like clockwork, and usually around Easter, I always want to make recipes my Nonnie might have made. As a kid, my family would spend Easter with my grandparents at their home in south Florida. They moved around a bit, but I spent most of my time in Jupiter, which is one of my favorite places. I’m always missing my grandma, but especially around holidays like Easter when we’d usually spend time with them. When it came to Easter entertaining, and serving my family in general, Nonnie kept meals simple yet still delicious. And played up all the extras. She would even dress up as the easter bunny! The thing to know about Nonnie is that she loved to cook, but only simple dishes that she just knew everyone would love. The first night we would spend with them over spring break, she’d usually make, chicken and rice with asparagus. Or maybe a nice piece of beef with potatoes and asparagus. She used to love to use that honey balsamic dressing they sell at the store. She would bake up the chicken in the dressing, and at the same time, she’d be roasting potatoes and asparagus. Oh, and warming bread too. Nonnie ALWAYS served warm bread with salted butter for every single meal. It was her favorite…we always knew we would love my Nonnie’s meals. Anyway, she inspires me every spring to cook some kind of chicken and asparagus dinner. And wow, I just adore this year’s recipe. It’s just what she would love. I know it!
Now the details
The first thing I like to do is roast the potatoes since they take longer to cook than the chicken. Simply olive oil, salt, and pepper. Then throw on the asparagus too. For the chicken, I like to use a mix of skinless, boneless, chicken thighs and breasts. Most of the people I feed regularly prefer chicken breasts, but I like to toss in a couple of boneless thighs for added flavor. Plus, Creighton loves them. Use what you like best, all thighs, all breasts, or a mix. The seasoning is simple, lots of dried or fresh thyme, balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, sesame seeds, a touch of paprika, chili flakes, and then of course, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Once the potatoes have cooked a bit, add the chicken to the sheet pan. If the asparagus is looking cooked, pull it off the pan to avoid overcooking it. If it’s not ready just yet, keep an eye on it towards the end.
The dressing
A simple mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon, honey, chili flakes, and salt. I add lots of fresh basil and a pinch of fresh thyme too. Then add the olives, which give this a yummy saltiness. Trust me, the olives make the chicken. To finish, grab a block of feta cheese and break it over the chicken, then take the dressing and spoon it over the entire sheet pan. So delicious you guys! I love to serve this with buttered bread on the side. Just as Nonnie would! It’s perfect for scooping and soaking up all the yummy sauce and flavor on the pan. Looking for other easy dinners? Here are some favorites: Easy Greek Sheet Pan Chicken and Potatoes 30 Minute Spicy Indian Butter Chicken Sheet Pan Sticky Sweet and Sour Chicken Sheet Pan Chicken Gyros with Feta Tzatziki Creamy White Bean Lemon Pesto Orzo Soup Lastly, if you make this Sheet Pan Honey Garlic Chicken and Feta Potatoes, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
