FALL FOOD ~ Cinnamon Roasted Chicken

BREAK OUT THE CINNAMON!

Am I the only one who starts CRAVING cinnamon when Fall hits?  I don't think I am alone because as I drive down the street, I see espresso stands advertising that "Egg Nog and Pumpkin Spice" are "NOW AVAILABLE"  *smile*.

A fun way to bring cinnamon into the savory side of your life is by making Cinnamon Roasted Chicken.  This recipe was inspired by an episode of "Little House on the Prairie".  In the episode, Nellie Olsen wants to impress Almanzo Wilder by "cooking" him dinner. So she asks Caroline Ingalls to be her stunt cook and hide in the kitchen so Almanzo will she has cooked the meal herself.  Laura Ingalls can't have that, SHE loves Almanzo! So she devises a plan and volunteers to do the cooking. Instead of cinnamon Laura uses cayenne and needless to say Almanzo and Nellie's evening is cut short.  SOOOOO, when making this recipe, unless you like it spicy, make sure you grab the cinnamon not the cayenne!

Before I give you the recipe I want to explain why I use chicken that has the skin on and is still on the bone.
1. It is far less expensive when you buy it in store, usually a difference of $2.00-3.00 per lb.
2. Roasting on the bone and with the skin on is going to give you JUICY chicken every time.  If you are watching calories and don't want the skin, just take it off when you are done cooking, but leaving it on helps trap all the juices inside.  Trust me on this one! 
3. The bones!  Whether with this recipe where the bone is left on during cooking; or another recipe where you de-bone the chicken before cooking, those bones put in some water with a few seasonings makes AMAZING chicken stock to be used for steaming rice, in soups..etc.  Another money saver and really easy.

PLEASE promise to ask me if you have questions about how it is "easy".  I know before I learned how to cook certain things, it seemed daunting or time consuming.  My goal is to show you how easy it is to cook great food and to save you money when doing it.  MY email is always open!  :)

Roasted Cinnamon Chicken

Preheat Oven 375 Degrees.

• 4~ Bone In Skin On, Split Chicken Breast  (They usually come split, if buying from butcher ask him to split it for you)
• Olive Oil
• 2 Tb. Melted Butter
• 4 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1 1/2 tsp. Ground Pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon or Allspice (This is for Sharon Sowell: you can substitute Allspice if you are allergic to Cinnamon)

1. Mix dry spices together
2. Wash and pat dry chicken breasts.  *(Use paper towels for this)
3. Gently left on side of chicken skin, creating a pocket between skin and chicken, sprinkle a healthy pinch of dry spices in pocket and using your fingers spread around. Repeat with the remaining pieces.
4. Place chicken an inch apart on  baking sheet and drizzle each piece with olive oil.  I would say approx. 1/2 TB. per piece.
5. Sprinkle Remaining dry spice over chicken pieces and rub in. 
6. Pop in oven for 20 minutes then drizzle chicken with melted butter, cook an additional 20 minutes. 
7. Turn oven up to 400 Degrees and move chicken to top rack for 5-10 minutes. This will really crisp up your skin if you are going to eat it.
8. Take chicken out of oven and let rest 5-7 minutes. 
9. ENJOY!

Yummy pan drippings make great gravy!

A few tips:

• I serve this chicken with plain mashed potatoes and gravy I make from pan drippings. Wild rice with craisens and walnuts is also a good "starch" then add whatever veggie you are craving that night and you have a KICK-ARSS meal.  Roasted squash is great side with this recipe. 
• Please note if you substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts in this recipe you will want to adjust your cook time.
• I am a big fan of pan searing my chicken before I roast it.  However, with this recipe you want to avoid that as cinnamon burns easily.  Skip the searing with this recipe.  :)

* To wash chicken: Lay out double layer of paper towels, rinse each piece of chicken under cold water and place breast side down on paper towels, let sit for 2-3 minutes then use more paper towels to pat dry rib side of breast.  This is important as it allows the oils and spices you use to adhere to the chicken!