Sheet Pan Honey Mustard Chicken, Sweet Potato & Bacon by Ambitious Kitchen

Drescription

"Sheet pan meals make dinner such a breeze, but sometimes they can feel a little boring. Well, there's two ways I love to elevate them: bacon and FUN toppings. This one's a bit unexpected-chicken topped with an arugula-pecan-date-feta crumble—resulting in SO MANY TEXTURES. It's crispy, chewy, tender, crunchy. A beautiful dinner in just an hour from start to finish (with minimal cleanup)! If you really love honey mustard, I suggest doubling the sauce and serving some on the side or drizzled over the chicken and veggies. TO MAKE DAIRY-FREE: Leave out the feta or sub dairy-free feta. If you're a bacon lover, double the bacon."

Ingredients

• 4 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into ½-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
• 1 medium yellow onion, cut into 1-inch chunks
• honey mustard sauce (recipe below)
• 2 cup fresh arugula, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
• 4 ounce feta cheese, finely crumbled or chopped
• 4 large pitted medjool dates, finely chopped (about ⅓ cup; optional)
• zest of 1 lemon
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• honey mustard sauce (makes about ½ cup)
• 3 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 2 to 3 tablespoon honey, to taste
• 2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, grated
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Make the Honey Mustard Sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the mustard, honey, olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste until smooth and well combined.
2. Cook the bacon: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the bacon slices in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet and transfer to the middle rack of a cold oven. (This helps the bacon render more evenly and yields flat and crispy bacon.) Heat the oven to 425°F and cook until the bacon has reached your desired crispiness, 15 to 25 minutes. Use tongs to transfer the bacon to a cutting board, blot with a paper towel to absorb excess grease, then chop the bacon into bite-sized pieces. Set aside. (Alternatively, cook the bacon on the stovetop: Place the bacon in a large skillet or pan over medium heat. Cook on both sides until crispy and golden brown, about 8 minutes total. If the pan starts to smoke at any point, reduce the heat. Chop into bite-size pieces. Set aside.)
3. Bake the chicken and veggies: Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl, season with the salt and a few grinds of pepper and toss well to coat, then add the sweet potato and onion. Pour the Honey Mustard Sauce all over and use clean hands to thoroughly coat the chicken and veggies. Pour the chicken and potato mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread in an even layer.
4. Bake, stirring the vegetables halfway through but leaving the chicken undisturbed, until the sweet potatoes are fork-tender and a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F, 25 to 35 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
5. Make the crumble: Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, toss the arugula, pecans, feta, dates (if using), and lemon zest until well combined.
6. Scatter the arugula crumble mixture over the hot chicken and veggies, then top with the crispy bacon and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.