Balsamic Chicken with Sauteed Spinach
and roasted butternut squash

Name: Balsamic Chicken with Sauteed Spinach
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 1/2 Tbsp Honey balsamic sauce ((ingredients listed separately)); 3 lbs Butternut squash, uncooked & chopped; 2 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar; 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard; 1 tsp Honey; 3 Tbsp Olive oil; 2 1/2 Tbsp Homemade honey balsamic sauce ((ingredients listed separately)); 1 1/4 lb Chicken breasts, halved; 1 Tbsp Cooking oil; 1/2 lb Baby spinach; 1/2 Lemon, juice of

Active: 25 min Total: 40 min

Original

It's butternut squash season and we're roasting it up this week. This recipe yields enough for Thursday's night meal too so be sure to set some aside. Enjoyed with chicken (or chickpeas for our vegetarian version) and spinach, this meal is all about whole, healthy eating.

Dependency

Roasted Butternut Squash and Hummus Pizza

Proteins

Chicken, non-ground

Cuisines

American

Ingredients

Metric

Servings:

Roasted Butternut Squash:

Honey balsamic sauce - 2 1/2 Tbsp ((ingredients listed separately))
Butternut squash - 3 lbs , uncooked & chopped

Honey Balsamic Sauce:

Balsamic vinegar - 2 Tbsp
Dijon mustard - 1/2 tsp
Honey - 1 tsp
Olive oil - 3 Tbsp

Balsamic Chicken with Sauteed Spinach:

Homemade honey balsamic sauce - 2 1/2 Tbsp ((ingredients listed separately))
Chicken breasts - 1 1/4 lb , halved
Cooking oil - 1 Tbsp
Baby spinach - 1/2 lb
Lemon - 1/2 , juice of

Prep

Honey balsamic sauce - Mix together sauce ingredients. You'll use this for both the protein and squash, so pay attention to the amounts listed. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
Chicken - Halve, pour on sauce (amount listed under chicken), and then tenderize.
Butternut squash - Remove skin with a peeler and chop into 1" (2.5 cm) cubes. To soften skin, you can also microwave it for 5 minutes, flipping it midway through cooking. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)

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Make

Preheat oven to 500F (260C) degrees.
Place chopped butternut squash in a sheet pan and then cover tightly with foil. Bake for 10 minutes on top rack. Remove foil and then toss with honey balsamic sauce (amount listed under squash ingredients). Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast for another 10 to 15 minutes uncovered, giving them a shake midway through. {If making Thursday's dinner, set aside enough roasted squash for tomorrow.}
While squash is cooking, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add cooking oil and then chicken breasts to heated oil. Sear on both sides for ~2 minutes and then cover with a lid. Cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until chicken breasts are cooked through and reach 165F(74C) degrees.
Remove from pan and set aside and now add spinach to the pan. Let the spinach cook in the chicken juices. Once wilted (shouldn't take long), add a squeeze of lemon juice and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Enjoy chicken and spinach with a side of butternut squash. Tomorrow you'll get to enjoy the leftover squash in a whole other way!

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