Honey Bourbon Chicken & Sneaky Sweet Potatoes

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Honey Bourbon Chicken & Sneaky Sweet Potatoes
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    [post_date] => 2015-12-15 08:39:50
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    [post_title] => Honey Bourbon Chicken & Sneaky Sweet Potatoes
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12.15

I have to confess, this is not a new recipe. In fact, this recipe is almost 9 months old, conceived last April for Families Connect, and I hope some cyber-users out there found it and enjoyed it in real time.

This does not, however, deter from its deliciousness! I loved the recipe when I made it in the early spring days of 2015, and I love it just as much today. It's everything Southern holiday comfort, but it won't leave you ready for a nap...or a jog. Plus, the combination of bourbon, honey and sweet potatoes is absolutely unbeatable.

chicken thighs 2

I'm trying something different this year than in previous years, and it seems to be working beautifully. Instead of railing against winter, fortifying myself as if preparing for some evil onslaught, I am embracing it. Getting excited for the chilly, blue air each morning when I take the puppy out. Looking forward to cozy evenings when my husband makes a fire and we pile on our mis-matched throws. I'm even using the early darkness to bundle up in layers and gloves and take short, brisk walks in the moonlight. Everything about the cold and winter that I usually just 'wait out', I'm finding a way to enjoy. And so far, it has worked! I am loving this season in all of its breathless, barren glory.

chicken thighs 4

And of course, it has always come naturally to apply this same tactic with food. Warming stews, soup cooked vegetables, baked goods are circulating their glorious smells around our kitchen...including this recipe. Not only are sweet potatoes seasonal, mashing and creaming them is like a mouth hug (trademark?). I lighten things up by adding mashed cauliflower, and the mixture is good enough to enjoy on its own. But why would you? This honey bourbon chicken takes a little bit of leg thigh work, but it is so worth it! Packed with flavor and incredible as leftovers (pulled and toasted on a sandwich, just sayin'), this is a perfect family meal.

chicken thighs 3

I hope the next time you wake up to a bleak and icy day, you'll brave the grocery for these ingredients, and use it as an excuse to create something delicious and warming from the inside out.

 

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TOTAL TIME :
6servings
INGREDIENTS
  • HONEY BOURBON CHICKEN THIGHS
  • 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
  • 1/4 cup maple sugar (sub coconut or other dried sugar)
  • 1 tablespoons sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon butter, melted (I use grass-fed Kerrygold brand)
  • 12 chicken thighs, skin on (prefer organic, free-range)
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons bourbon (sub orange juice)
  • SNEAKY SWEET POTATOES
  • 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into 2 inch pieces
  • 1 head cauliflower, destemmed and chopped into 2 inch florets
  • 1 medium white onion, diced into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
DIRECTIONS
HONEY BOURBON CHICKEN THIGHS
  1. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil and place chicken thighs on them. Combine paprika, maple sugar and sea salt in a small bowl and whisk to incorporate.
  2. Using clean fingers, rub a thin coating of butter under and over the skin of each chicken thigh. 1 tablespoon should last the whole batch. Sprinkle spice mixture onto the thighs and use fingers to coat evenly. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight.
  3. The next day, preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Mix bourbon and honey in a small bowl. Place thighs in the oven, uncovered, and bake for 50 minutes.
  4. Remove from oven and use a brush or spoon to coat each thigh with a thin layer of the honey bourbon mixture. Place bake in oven and bake another 10 minutes.
  5. Remove thighs and set your oven to broil. Add another thin glaze of the honey bourbon mixture to thighs. Take turns placing each baking sheet under the broiler for 30 seconds or until the skin bubbles up and turns a dark caramel color. Remove from heat and allow to cool at least 10 minutes before enjoying.
SNEAKY SWEET POTATOES
  1. Fill two pots with at least 4 quarts water and set to boil. Once boiling, add cauliflower to one pot and sweet potatoes to another.
  2. While vegetables are boil, heat a large sauté pan to medium heat and add olive oil. When oil is shimmering, add onion and sauté until translucent and fragrant, approximately 3-4 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove from heat and set aside.
  3. Cauliflower will be done after 20 minutes. Sweet potatoes will be done after 35 minutes. Drain each into a large colander.
  4. Combine cauliflower and sweet potatoes in a large pot. Add sautéed onion, salt, milk and stock. Use a ricer or an immersion blender to puree. Other options: Use a potato masher and you will have a chunkier texture. Empty into a food processor and process to puree.
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