roasted mustard chicken with parmesan brussels and cauliflower

hey guys!

i've been out of the game for a while because the new quarter of school that started in april is kicking my ass and taking all my time (i can't believe i'm a full-time student dedicating all my time to school and work! lol). anyways, just because i've been BUSY doesn't mean i stopped cooking, so here is one of mine and mercer's new favorites:

mustard roasted chicken, brussels sprouts and cauliflower

| prep time: 30 min | cook time: 30 min | ready in: 1 hour |

one of the big reasons this is at the top of our list right now is because it only requires one sheet pan for cooking and pretty minimal prep - AKA it makes cleanup for mercer. also, the reason we started using mustard for our chicken is because when we were in gold beach (on the oregon coast) we found a little shop that sold saucy mama's tarragon lemon mustard (also available online we later found out). however, this is NOT required for the recipe because it is a versatile recipes that also works great with both yellow and dijon mustard (which one you choose should depend purely on personal preference!)

here's the list of ingredients you're going to need, as you can see it's not a lot!

• chicken breasts, 2 (1 per person, unless you're really hungry or want leftovers)
• brussels sprouts, 20, halved (i usually do about 10-12 for me because mercer refuses to eat them)
• cauliflower, cut into small florets
• mustard, 1/4 c. PER breast (if i didn't have the lemon tarragon, i would go for dijon)
• parmesan, 1/4 c. (if you want to make this healthier, omit the parm!)
• lemon, juiced
• garlic, 2 cloves minced
• salt, ~3 tsp. 
• pepper,  ~2 tsp. 
• olive oil, 1/2 c.

how to make:

1. add 1/4 c. olive oil, mustard, 1/2 the lemon juice, minced garlic, 1 tsp. of salt, and a 1/2 tsp. of pepper into a medium-sized bowl. whisk together until combined
2. place chicken into the bowl and flip the chicken a few times to ensure each breast is coated evenly (shown to the right). put plastic wrap over the bowl and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (you can marinate this for up to 12 hours for more flavor, which i highly recommend) 
3. PREHEAT OVEN TO 400°- lol don't skip this step or you're going to be annoyed like i always am when i finish getting everything onto my sheet pan and the oven is cold
4. rinse your brussels sprouts, slice in half, and place into a bowl
5. drive half of the olive oil you have left (1/8 c.) on the sprouts, along with the rest of the lemon juice, 1 tsp. of salt, 1/2 tsp. of pepper, and half of the parmesan. toss until evenly coated
6. line a sheet pan with foil, making a little foil wall in the middle of the pan (shown below) to separate the chicken from the veggies and then grease the pan.

   

   foil wall

7. place your brussels on the pan and then go back to the cutting board to cut your cauliflower into small florets. put the cauliflower into the bowl and coat evenly with the remaining olive oil, salt, and pepper. 
8. place the cauliflower onto the same side as the brussels and then sprinkle the remaining parmesan evenly over the cauliflower.
9. grab chicken out of the fridge and move it from the bowl to the side of the sheet pan that has not been used yet. spoon the marinade from the bowl over the chicken so you can retain even more flavor! 
10. bake for 25 min and then check the doneness of your chicken (should be 165°F)- if the chicken is not done, you should take the brussels sprouts off the sheet pan and put them into a bowl so they don't overcook. cook for another 5-10 min depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts
11. take sheet pan out of the oven and let chicken rest for 5-10 min before serving.

     12. enjoy!

xoxo, happy cooking!

♥ lex

p.s. since summer is coming up... feel free to marinate your chicken and then GRILL it! that's what i'll be doing once we get into our new apartment and get a grill!!