By Fall is here and the air is cooler in the evenings. I like wearing my graphic tees with light jackets now. This week at school I joined a science club. We talked about how the body heals after injury. It made me even more sure I want to be a doctor.
Monday's jambalaya in the new kitchen turned out perfect. The bigger space makes cooking easier. I wrote the recipe with a special note: "For new kitchens and new beginnings."
On Wednesday I helped Mama plant some flowers in the front yard. The flood washed away the old ones, but these new ones are bright and strong.
Saturday at MawMaw Shirley's we made sweet potato pie. My crust was the best yet. She tasted it and didn't correct me once. That felt like the biggest compliment.
At night I wrote: "We are healing, one meal and one day at a time." Twelve years old, round face still soft with youth, and a heart that's learning resilience is a kind of roux — slow, dark, and nourishing. I'm not rushing. I'm stirring.
After a week of new beginnings—new kitchen, new science club, new flowers in the yard—I wanted a recipe that felt just as easy and bright as everything around me was starting to feel. One-pan barbecue chicken with roasted sweet potatoes was the perfect fit: sweet potatoes that reminded me of MawMaw Shirley’s pie, and a dish simple enough to let the new kitchen shine without making it work too hard. Here’s how I made it.
One-Pan Barbecue Chicken and Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3/4 cup barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven. Heat oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed sheet pan with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.
- Season the sweet potatoes. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, smoked paprika, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Spread in a single layer on one side of the prepared pan.
- Prepare the chicken. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Rub with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne (if using), and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place skin-side up on the other side of the pan.
- Roast the first round. Roast for 20 minutes, until the sweet potatoes begin to caramelize at the edges and the chicken skin starts to turn golden.
- Add the barbecue sauce. Remove the pan from the oven. Brush chicken thighs generously with barbecue sauce on all sides. Toss sweet potatoes gently and push them closer to the chicken so they soak up any drippings.
- Finish roasting. Return to the oven and roast for another 12–15 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the sauce is sticky and caramelized.
- Rest and serve. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve straight from the pan.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 420 | Protein: 31g | Fat: 18g | Carbs: 34g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 610mg