If you’ve ever wondered how restaurants get their roast chicken so juicy and full of flavor, the secret is simple — it’s all in the brine! This brined Roasted Chicken and Potatoes is one of those meals that makes you slow down and savor every bite.

The kids voted this was the best chicken and potatoes I’ve ever made and it was one pan and so dang easy.

The overnight brine infuses the meat with moisture and a subtle, herby flavor, while the garlic butter under the skin keeps every bite tender and golden. Add in roasted Yukon Gold potatoes that crisp up in the chicken drippings, and you’ve got a family dinner that is pure comfort food — with hardly any effort.

Why Brining Makes the Juiciest Chicken

The short answer is science! First, the salt in the brine breaks down the tight protein strands in chicken (or any poultry) which makes the structure more open to holding liquid molecules so it can retain more moisture.

When the chicken is submerged in the brine, the chicken soaks up the brine making it more juicy and more flavorful. The additional flavor in the brine like the lemon, fresh herbs and garlic all soak into the chicken so it’s flavored from the inside out!

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Brine

• Water: The base that helps distribute the salt and flavors evenly.
• Kosher Salt: Draws moisture in and out of the chicken, resulting in juicy, seasoned meat.
• Honey: Adds a subtle sweetness and helps with browning during roasting.
• Peppercorns: Infuse mild spice and depth into the brine.
• Lemons: Brighten the flavor and help tenderize the meat.
• Bay Leaves: Add an earthy, aromatic note.
• Parsley & Thyme: Fresh herbs that lend light, savory flavor.
• Garlic: Deepens the flavor and complements the herbs beautifully.

For the Chicken

• Whole Chicken: The star of the recipe — roasting the entire bird keeps it juicy, flavorful, and beautifully golden while naturally basting the potatoes as it roasts.
• Kosher Salt: Enhances flavor, draws out moisture for crisp skin, and seasons both the chicken and potatoes evenly.
• Butter: Adds richness and helps the skin turn golden and crispy while keeping the meat tender and moist.
• Garlic: Brings depth and savory aroma to the butter mixture and infuses flavor into the chicken and potatoes.
• Fresh Thyme: Adds bright, earthy notes that complement the chicken’s richness and balance the buttery flavor.
• Lemon: Infuses the meat with a fresh citrus aroma, helps tenderize the chicken, and

Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower with Bacon

This indulgent Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower with Bacon makes the most amazing side dish. It’s a one skillet recipe filled with tender cauliflower and vibrant broccoli simmering in a creamy garlic sauce topped off with gooey cheese and crispy bacon! I can’t wait for dinner!

Upgrade your vegetable game with this delicious and easy recipe for creamy garlic parmesan broccoli and cauliflower topped with crispy bacon. Perfect for an easy side dish or even as a meal on its own.

Ingredients for Creamy Garlic Parmesan Broccoli and Cauliflower

There is so much flavor and creaminess packed into this dish, it almost seems like you aren’t even eating vegetables! Haha! Not that eating vegetables is bad! I love vegetables! But load them up with bacon and garlic and all sorts of cheese and even my picky kiddos eat them! Here is everything you need:

• Bacon: I found thick bacon worked the best, but it adds a lot of grease so make sure you follow the recipe and remove some before adding the butter.
• Butter: I prefer unsalted so that I can control the saltiness a little more.
• Onions: Regular yellow onion is great.
• Broccoli and Cauliflower Florets: The stars of the dish!
• Garlic: adds flavor
• Kosher Salt: adds flavor
• Aleppo Pepper: Aleppo Pepper is a must on top. That tiny fleck of sweet heat takes this dish to a whole new level. It’s not spicy, but it adds that wonderful flavor like a spice would.
• Heavy Cream: adds all the rich creaminess to the sauce
• Lemon Juice: adds a pop of freshness that takes this dish to a new level
• Mozzarella Cheese and Parmesan Cheese: We tried other cheeses like monterey jack and cheddar but the flavor was off with the garlic.

How to Make Creamy Broccoli and Cauliflower

Let’s walk through each step of making this indulgent vegetables dish…

1. Cook: Fry the bacon until crispy in an oven safe pan over medium heat. Once cooked, remove the bacon from the pan to a plate lined with paper towels. Drain most of the bacon grease.
2. Preheat: start the broiler
3. Sauté: Melt the butter in the skillet and add the onions. Cook it until transparent stirring occasionally.
4. Add: Place the broccoli, cauliflower and garlic and season with salt and pepper and toss everything together. Cook until the broccoli is bright green and fork tender.
5. Simmer: Pour the cream in and then reduce the heat to medium low and let it summer until the sauce thickens.
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Greek Chicken Recipe (30-Minute)

Our 30-minute one-pan Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice dinner is packed with so much flavor you’ll be shocked by how easy it is! This healthy Mediterranean recipe uses lemon rice, chicken, spinach, grape tomatoes, feta cheese, and classic Greek spices. It’s an easy, one-skillet chicken and rice recipe that is healthy, gluten-free, high-protein, a great source of fiber, and can be easily made dairy-free.

My family said that this One Pan Greek Chicken and Lemon Rice is the best chicken and rice recipe they’ve ever had, and we hope you love it too!

Ingredients for Greek Chicken and Rice

Here’s what you’ll need to make this flavorful Greek Chicken and Rice dish. Most of these ingredients are pantry or fridge staples, making it easy to pull together any night of the week.

Greek Chicken Thighs

• Chicken Thighs: Juicy, flavorful dark meat that stays tender and moist during cooking.
• Dried Oregano: A staple Mediterranean herb with earthy, slightly peppery notes.
• Dried Thyme: Adds a warm, woodsy flavor that complements the other herbs.
• Paprika: Brings a subtle smokiness and beautiful color to the dish.
• Garlic Powder: A quick way to add mellow, savory garlic flavor throughout.
• Kosher Salt: Enhances the natural flavors of the chicken and rice.
• Red Pepper Flakes: Adds a subtle kick of heat to balance the lemon and herbs.

Greek Lemon Rice

• Olive Oil: Used to sauté and add richness to the rice and toppings.
• Grape Tomatoes: Sweet, juicy bursts of flavor that roast beautifully.
• Garlic: Freshly min

One Pan Mexican Chicken Skillet with Zucchini

This One Pan Mexican Chicken Skillet with Zucchini is an easy dinner ready in under 30 minutes! It’s made with simple ingredients: chicken, seasonings from the pantry, beans, zucchini, yellow squash, cheese and all the Mexican toppings! Easy weeknight chicken dinner, here I come!

If you’re looking for more tried and true Mexican recipes with chicken you’ll love this 10 Minute Sticky Mexican Chicken,  Mexican Chicken Burrito Bowl, or this Cheesy Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Why You’ll Love this Mexican Chicken Skillet

Even though this recipe is super simple, Mexican chicken skillet with zucchini is still a recipe you’ll be throwing into your regular dinner rotation because it’s:

• Easy. Can you chop and sit? You can make this chicken skillet! (And you can also handle this tasty Ground Beef Enchilada Skillet.)
• Healthy. Veggies, lean protein, whole grains…the gang is all here.
• Tex-Mex Inspired.  Like Cafe Rio Chicken and Chopped Tex Mex Salad, these flavors are easy to love, especially for kids!
• Adaptable. This recipe is a cinch to make your own. Try different veggies, beans, no beans, meats etc and make it the way your family likes it! 

Basically, if you want a simple, healthy, delicious meal that’s ready ASAP, Mexican chicken skillet is for you! 

One Pan Mexican Chicken Skillet with Zucchini

I have “skeeter syndrome”. I know, it 100% sounds made up. Basically everyone gets mosquito bites and hates the itch, but I have the blessing of being extra, EXTRA allergic.

We sat outside talking to some friends for a quick 15 minutes and I came in with 9 mosquito bites that by the next day were each the size of a tennis ball.

Taco Tuesday Idea

We love Taco Tuesday as a family, so the last time I sprung this chicken recipe on my family for a new Taco Tuesday idea you’d think I broke hearts across the table! Even with baseball arms I needed to get something quick and easy and Mexican inspired on the table.

And guess what, even without the tortillas, they loved it!! Like, asked-for-seconds, loved it! And we’ve been making it again, and again, and again ever since. Hello, Read more