“Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six”

The day I made this recipe for the first time it was my day off on a weekend. Like I do most often when I cook I time myself as I create a recipe. It’s important to me to bring you recipes for easy weeknight and weekend meal plans to save you time and not complicate your life. Heck I don’t want too much time in the kitchen all the time either. But some recipes do come with a bit of effort and that effort is so worth it. So since time is of the essence, my rustic Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six is not a breakfast meal plan this time around. The entrée part of this menu, Tarragon Shallot Roast Chicken with Yukon Gold Potatoes is started the night before cooking. I recommend this step as a must for full flavor.

Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six

I think Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six makes the perfect Sunday dinner with family and friends. Tarragon Shallot Roast Chicken is the first part of this delicious meal. I used chicken leg quarters but feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken breast or chicken thighs. Only the roasting time may vary depending what chicken pieces used but proceed with recipe directions as written.

A marinade is made by combining balsamic vinegar, champagne vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, shallots, fresh tarragon (click here for info), olive oil, and bacon fat. A seasoning mix is also made as part of the seasoning for this roast chicken. Do not leave it out as you will have extra. Keep extra seasoning mix in an airtight container for a use later. The seasoning mix is delicious on roasted vegetables and broiled or baked fish. The marinade is tangy because of the addition of vinegar’s and a slight anise flavor from the tarragon. A beautiful combination indeed. Place chicken in marinade overnight in refrigerator. Be sure to reserve a 1/4 cup of marinade for potatoes.

Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six

Tarragon Shallot Roast Chicken with Yukon Gold Potatoes starts by removing chicken from refrigerator. While your chicken sits at room temperature, parboil your potatoes. When cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthwise. Place warm potatoes in a Ziploc bag with reserved marinade. Place chicken and marinade in a large baking dish, adding potatoes and nestling around chicken.

Bake chicken and potatoes in a 400 degree oven in addition to leaving chicken in the oven turned off for 20 minutes. Sounds crazy I know but do not keep this step. The chicken is nicely browned and juicy tender. The potatoes are soft and creamy and reap the benefits of being roasting in the marinade.

Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six

I know you will enjoy sharing and serving this rustic recipe to family and friends. I recommend serving the chicken and potatoes with steamed broccoli sprinkled with Olive oil and lemon pepper. While I think Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six is for the weekend, this recipe can be made any weeknight as well. I find this recipe to be worthy of company and family dinners. Anytime you can get those you love together around the dinner table is a victory on all accounts. Share your thoughts on this meal plan by commenting here, # chowdownlowdown or @michelleheyden. Have a great workweek!

 Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six

Make Ahead Weekend Meals – Menu Six

Tarragon Shallot Roast Chicken with Yukon Gold Potatoes

6 chicken leg quarters, excess fat removed

1/2 cup Olive oil

2 shallots, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 T. fresh tarragon, minced

2 T. Balsamic vinegar

2 T. Champagne vinegar (use Prosecco Vinegar if unable to find Champagne)

2 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. melted rendered bacon fat

2 T. Seasoning Mix (recipe follows)

12 baby Yukon Gold potatoes, parboiled, sliced in half lengthwise

Salt and pepper to taste

Seasoning Mix

2 T. kosher salt

3 t. ground cumin

2 t. dry mustard

3 t. ground coriander

2 t. paprika

1 t. black pepper

Mix ingredients in a small bowl; set aside. Store extra seasoning in an airtight container.

In a medium size mixing bowl, combine Olive oil, shallots, garlic, tarragon, vinegar’s, lemon juice, bacon fat, and 2 T. seasoning mix. Reserve and refrigerate ¼ cup marinade for later.

Place chicken in a Ziploc bag and pour in remaining marinade. Close bag and massage to coat chicken completely. Refrigerate chicken and allow to marinade at least 8 hours to overnight.

Remove chicken and marinade from refrigerator at least 30 minutes before cooking. Meanwhile, parboil potatoes for 8 – 10 minutes as a fork inserted should not penetrate the potatoes completely. Let cool for a few minutes and cut in half lengthwise.

Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes in a bowl or Ziploc bag and coat with reserved marinade.

In a 13×9 baking dish, arrange chicken with marinade and potatoes, sprinkling with salt and pepper. Bake in oven for 40 minutes. Turn off oven leaving chicken inside for 20 more minutes.

Remove chicken and potatoes, letting rest 5 minutes before serving. Serve with green vegetable like steamed broccoli or green salad.