Yes, you can make a dish that feels fancy and won’t break the bank. We used some of our favourite budget-friendly tips when we created our delicious Easy One-Pot Chicken With Cherry Tomatoes and Prunes recipe.
Tips for making budget-friendly meals
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are way more flavourful and juicy than other chicken cuts. It also doesn’t hurt that they’re the budget-savvy choice compared to boneless, skinless thighs. Winner winner, chicken dinner!
- You can get a bag of red potatoes for pennies. We don’t discriminate during carb season, and we promise you that you can mash, scallop, bake, roast and fry the leftovers as well as any other potato type. Plus, these beauties are great blitzed into a smooth-as-silk soup.
- Red onions may not be the most inexpensive of items, but, trust us, you can make a single, relatively affordable bag go a long way. Did you know that if they’re stored in a cool, dark, dry place with good ventilation, they’ll last for up to three to four months? Use them in salads, to make caramelized onions, quick-pickled onions or French onion soup or as the delicious foundation for anything stewed, roasted or braised.
Easy One-Pot Chicken With Cherry Tomatoes and Prunes
6 Servings
Ingredients
- 6 –8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 6 –8 red potatoes scrubbed
- 1 rib celery
- 2 red onions
- 2 zucchini cut into cubes
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- ¾ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground pepper
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1⅓ cups cherry tomatoes halved
- 15 California prunes pitted
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 bunch cilantro roots trimmed
- Olive oil for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut chicken into large pieces; place in large baking dish or roasting pan. Cut potatoes and celery into quarters, and cut onions into thick wedges with root attached. Add to chicken dish with garlic. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and cayenne, tossing to coat. Nestle California prunes on bottom of pan.
- Arrange tomatoes overtop, then drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove pan from oven; stir in ½ cup water, then gently mix in cilantro. Return to oven and cook until juices run clear when chicken is pierced and potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.
- Drizzle with more olive oil before serving.
Notes
Tip: Arrange your prunes on the bottom of the chicken mixture to prevent them drying out and possibly burning. The juices from the chicken and the tomatoes will drip into the prunes during cooking, creating a magically smooth broth.
California Prunes are an under-the-radar superfood: versatile, sweet, earthy and packed full of nutrition. They’re so good, you’ll want to use them again and again. californiaprunes.org
