Roasted Chicken Quarters with Glazed Sweet Potatoes

Let me get this out there first.

Start this recipe the night before (or morning of if you have that option) you plan on eating it. The chicken needs to marinate at least 8 hours before baking.

Ok, now that that's out of the way, I can rave about how much I love this meal. We all loved this meal. Between 2 adults and 2 children under the age of 5, we ate 3 chicken quarters. The recipe said it would serve four. That didn't take into account how much we loved it. M of course, decided she didn't like sweet potatoes this way either, but the rest of us really enjoyed it. I especially loved the mango chutney. I could have eaten that with a spoon from the jar. Because the chicken marinates for a while, most of the prep happens hours before you think about eating supper. That makes it perfect for our craziness right now. The only prep work in the hour before supper when the kids all go nuts simultaneously (it's a conspiracy, I'm sure of it! I think they get together in the middle of the night and decide how they'll act up while I am making supper the following day) is peeling and slicing the sweet potatoes. Couldn't be easier. I know what you are thinking when you read this recipe, "Surely I could fit the sweet potatoes and chicken on the same pan so I have less dishes to wash." Let me save you the trouble. You can't. Put the chicken on the middle oven rack and the sweet potatoes on the next rack down.

I served this with rice. If I was on top of things, I would have a salad or a green vegetable as well. I'm not though and this meal was perfect with what we had.

Roasted Chicken Quarters with Glazed Sweet Potatoes
from Bon Appetit

Chicken
1/2 c coarsely chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 T apple cider vinegar
2 T honey
1/2 t ground allspice
1 T fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1 /2 t fresh thyme, finely chopped (oops, I forgot this, I even had the time)
1 t salt
1 t ground black pepper
1/2 habanero or milder chile, like poblano, seeded, and coarsely chopped (optional)
1/2 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground nutmeg
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 lbs whole chicken leg-thigh pieces (should be 4 pieces, mine were big so we only had 3)

2 T olive oil (I forgot this, too)

Sweet Potatoes
2 T butter, melted
2 T honey
1 T fresh lime juice
1/2 t ground cinnamon
2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/3" rounds

Mango Chutney

Place the onion, garlic, vinegar, honey, allspice, ginger, thyme, salt, pepper, chile, cinnamon and nutmeg in a food processor. Puree marinade until a thick paste forms. Place chicken in a large resealable bag or plastic container and seal. Turn chicken to coat (or if using a plastic container, toss to coat before sealing the container). Refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally.

Arrange chicken pieces, with marinade still clinging to it, on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush chicken with oil. Roast in a preheated 400 degrees oven until cooked through (internal temperature should be 180 degrees), about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the size of your chicken.

Meanwhile, whisk butter, honey, lime juice, and ground cinnamon in a large bowl. Add potato slices and toss to coat. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on an oiled baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake potatoes on a rack underneath the chicken until tender, about 25 minutes.

Serve chicken with potatoes and topping with mango chutney if desired.