Potluck Time!!!

I've been blogging since 2003, and towards the end of my last blog I was focusing on teacher-y stuff because I'd gone through grad school and begun teaching full time. But since I've switched over now to a new emphasis on my blog, I need to get to know my community better. And what better way to get to know folks than by going to a potluck! So I'm sending this recipe over to Ms. Whatsit, who is hosting her 3rd potluck, and I'm looking forward to sampling all the other treats that show up!

Now for this potluck, because summer is over and the fall is rushing towards us, I'm going to share one of my favorite dinner recipes that includes some autumn taste to it.

Mustard Chicken Roasted over Squash

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped (I like to add in different colors too)
1 medium butternut or danish squash cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper
1 (4-lb) chicken - split in half (or a whole fryer in pieces)
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon applesauce

1. Preheat oven to 350 deg.
2. Spray a large skillet and set it over medium heat (you can use olive oil for a richer taste). Add onion and bell pepper; stirring frequently until slightly softened (about 3 minutes).
3. Stir in thyme, salt, pepper then mound the mixture in the center of a 9x13 baking pan
4. Place the chicken (like a tent) over the veggies
5. Stir together the mustard and applesauce in a small bowl until smooth; brush over the chicken.
6. Bake the chicken until golden brown (thermometer would read about 180 deg) - about 1 hour.

Now, sometimes I like to add in a couple of red or new potatoes if I'm feeding more people or people who aren't as into squash. You can also use a kabocha squash. The nice thing about this recipe is that it is super yummy but only scores 5 points on the WW scale (if you're concerned about that sort of thing).

Prep is super easy - you just have to make sure you pop it in the oven soon enough to give it an hour or so to bake.

Enjoy!!