Okay, I know what you’re probably thinking.

Baked chicken?  You’re sharing a recipe for baked chicken?!  You may as well be sharing a recipe explaining how to boil water!  (Don’t worry, I’m not offended.  I’d probably be asking the same question if I were you.)

But!  I wanted to share this delicious, straightforward recipe with you because chicken breasts and I became well acquainted while I was on the elimination diet.  Oh, and because I have a serious thing for roasted carrots and parsnips this winter.

I don’t know about you, but before getting started with the elimination diet, I always groaned at the thought of having boneless, skinless chicken breasts for dinner.  It’s not hard for baked chicken to conjure up images of dry, flavorless slabs of meat.

Since organic, free range chicken is one of a handful of meats allowed on the elimination diet, Kevin and I ended up cooking enough chicken for us to come up with our perfect baked chicken recipe.  From the cooking time and temperature to the herbs and seasonings, we’re thrilled with the outcome: juicy, flavorful chicken.

And if you still need to be convinced:

• It’s affordable.
• It’s elimination diet-friendly.
• It’s lower in fat and calories than other types of meat.
• It’s a great source of high quality protein. It’s also packing a variety of nutrients, including vitamins B, B6, B12, C, D, E, niacin, and magnesium.
• It’s versatile.  It pairs well with most vegetables and makes for great leftovers in salads, soups, sandwiches, pastas, and more.

As for the roasted carrots and parsnips… Well, as I mentioned earlier, I’ve had a serious thing for them this winter.  (Don’t tell my sweet potatoes!)  And lucky for me, we’ve been getting them in our Full Circle CSA box quite a bit.  I love serving them with the baked chicken because they’re easy to prep, taste great with the same herbs, and cook for about the same amount of time at the same temperature.  Easy.

So, here’s how to get your perfect baked chicken — and drool-worthy roasted carrots and parsnips — on.

To get started, preheat your oven to 425°F and grab all of the ingredients you’ll need.  You’ll also want to line a couple of baking trays with either parchment paper or aluminum foil.

First, you’ll want to prep all of your vegetables and seasonings.  Wash your veggies, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.

Peel your carrots and parsnips, and chop off the ends.  In order for your veggies to roast evenly, you’ll want to make sure the pieces are similar sizes.  Meaning you’ll most likely need to cut up your parsnips.

Chop up your rosemary and thyme, and mince your garlic.

Using one of your lined baking trays, toss your veggies with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the minced garlic, and half of the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.

Spread everything out so the carrots and parsnips bake evenly, and then put the vegetables into the oven while you prep your chicken.  The vegetables should roast for 25-30 minutes, or until they’re tender and starting to brown.

To prep the chicken breasts on your second baking tray, coat them in the remaining 1.5 teaspoons of olive oil and sprinkle them with the remaining rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper.  Place them in the oven with the vegetables and bake them for ~20 minutes.  You can confirm they’re done by checking their temperature (165°F is fully cooked) or by cutting into the biggest piece to make sure there isn’t any pink meat remaining.

Since you began roasting your vegetables a few minutes before you put the chicken in the oven, the two should be done around the same time. Once they’re both out of the oven, put ’em on a plate, and get ready to feast!

Perfect Baked Chicken with Roasted Carrots and Parsnips

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25-30 minutes
Makes: 2-4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
• 6 medium carrots, peeled with ends cut off
• 2 parsnips, peeled and cut to match the size of the carrots (for even roasting)
• 1.5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon rosemary, divided
• 1 tablespoon thyme, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 425° F.  Line two baking trays with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
2. In one of the lined baking trays, toss your carrots and parsnips with 1T of the olive oil, the garlic, and half of the rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Place this tray in the oven, as your vegetables will likely roast a bit longer than your chicken — 25-30 minutes, or until tender and starting to brown.
3. Using the second lined baking tray, coat your chicken breasts with the remaining 1.5t of olive oil.  Sprinkle both sides with the remaining rosemary, thyme, salt, and pepper.  Put the chicken in the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  To check for doneness, take the chicken out and cut the largest piece to make sure no pink meat remains. Enjoy!