Chicken Baked on A Bed of Bread & Swiss Chard; and Contest Winner

I tried a new recipe last week that I want to share with you. Chicken Baked on Bread & Swiss Chard; adapted from the December issue of Food and Wine.

I’m always looking for new, easy and healthy ways to cook chicken and this seemed to fit the bill perfectly. I did make a few changes…I used baby spinach instead of swiss chard. I omitted the capers and the raisins; one because I didn’t have them and the other because my husband doesn’t like them. And I added some chopped green olives, which I thought went very well.

Chicken Baked On A Bed of Bread & Swiss Chard

Ingredients

1. 1/2 pound day-old peasant bread, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 1/2 loaf)
2. 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3. 1/4 cup salted capers, rinsed well (I substituted chopped green olives)
4. 1/4 cup golden raisins, coarsely chopped (I omitted these)
5. 1 large bunch of Swiss chard (about 1 1/2 pound) torn into pieces ( I substituted fresh baby spinach)
6. 3 shallots, thinly sliced
7. 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
8. 1/2 teaspoon minced thyme
9. Salt and freshly ground black pepper
10. One 3 1/2-pound chicken, skinned and cut into 8 pieces, or 8 skinless bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, toss the bread cubes with the olive oil, capers, raisins, Swiss chard, shallots, garlic and thyme. Season with salt and black pepper. Spread the bread in a large enameled cast-iron casserole.

2. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and arrange them over the bread. Cover the chicken with a piece of parchment paper and close the casserole with a heavy lid. Bake the chicken for 35 minutes.

3. Remove the lid and parchment paper and increase the oven temperature to 400°. Bake the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes longer, or until golden on top and cooked through. Remove the casserole from the oven and let stand for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve the chicken with the bread and greens.


Cookbook Giveaway Winner:

The winner of the Cooking Light Way To Cook Vegetarian Cookbook is Monet from Ancedotes & Apple Cores.    Congratulations to Monet and thanks to all of you who participated.