These one pan dinners are super easy, super flavorful, the chicken always comes out super moist and super flavorful and chicken quarters are very inexpensive…..Safeway often sells them for 99cents a pound and a few other places sell them for even less. To make these dishes you start out by browning the chicken and using the drippings to sauté the vegetables. By doing this you are infusing flavors. More ingredients get added and everything goes back in a big oven safe pot or pan in the oven till it’s done. There are a few things you need to know before you make this recipe. One is that the chicken skin will not get crisp enough to eat by cooking it this way but the meat will be very tender and also very flavorful. Ovens and the pans you use do differ and so will the timing. The other thing is that you need to make sure the lentils are done and the chicken is at a safe temperature to eat. According to the government chicken is safe to eat at 165 degrees F. Use a thermometer when you make this meal and make sure the chicken is at least 165 degrees F but I normally cook dark chicken and dark turkey at least at 180 because that is what I prefer….actually I like the dark meat between 180-200 degrees F but your preference may differ and you cook it to the degree you prefer.

Ingredients for about 6 servings

4 lbs chicken quarters (about three large chicken quarters) (season on both sides with salt, pepper and granulated garlic)

kosher salt to taste – (to season chicken)

fresh ground black pepper to taste – (to season chicken)

granulated garlic to taste (about twice as much as salt) – to season chicken

1 large sweet onion – chopped

2 carrots – peeled – chopped (mine were real skinny so I just sliced them in thirds)

2 stalks celery – chopped

13 garlic cloves – chopped well

1 Tablespoon soup base (instead of salt more flavor less sodium – either reduced sodium chicken base or vegetable base)

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 red bell pepper – chopped – or a few red Fresnos for a little heat

1 green bell pepper – chopped

3 bay leaves

7 oz tomatoes – rough chopped

3/4 cup brown lentils (rinsed and inspected)

3/4 cup orange lentils (rinsed and inspected)

1/2 oz fresh parsley – chopped (to finish)

2 1/2 cups water

8 oz fresh spinach if desired (I think spinach taste good with lentils..you only have to stir it in at the end)

Directions

Brown the seasoned chicken on both sides either in a frying pan with a little oil or broil in the oven about 10 minutes on each side and use the drippings to sauté the vegetables and set the chicken to the side.

Set oven to 350 degrees F.

If you have a very large oven safe pot use it to sauté the vegetables with the drippings on medium high heat……If not just use your sauce pan for now. Add the onions, celery, carrots, garlic, soup base, black pepper, tomatoes and bell peppers. Stir occasionally and cook till the onions are soft. Then add the water and bring to a boil and add the lentils and then shut off heat and take off burner.

If not in a very large oven safe pot then transfer to a large pan. (I used a half pan)

Top the pan with the parsley and then the chicken and cover tightly with foil.

This goes in the oven till the lentils are tender and the chicken is at least 165 degrees F. (but I prefer dark chicken to get to 180 F…..it will be very tender and not dry) ********Ovens DO DIFFER…..In my oven this took 2 hours but I had two other pans in my oven that might have added on extra time. I recommend to check at around 90 minutes you will have an idea on how much longer and also if you need to add a little more water. When the pan is done you will remove the chicken and throw out the bay leaves. Now when it’s steaming hot is when you stir in the fresh spinach if desired.

It’s delicious everyone will love this.