Chicken with Beans, Bacon and Cheddar
Whole, bone-in chicken legs stay tender and juicy during cooking. Fast enough for a weeknight meal, this warm and hearty one-pot dish will please almost anyone.
Ingredients
- 1 Tbs. olive oil
- 4 skin-on whole chicken legs
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 4 slices thick-cut bacon
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 cans (each 14 oz./440 g) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
- 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g) grated white cheddar cheese
Directions
Preheat an oven to 400°F (200C).
In a large, ovenproof fry pan over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper. Add to the pan, skin side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.
Return the pan to medium-high heat, arrange the bacon slices in a single layer and fry until crispy, about 7 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towels, then break into big pieces.
Add the onion and garlic to the pan and sauté over medium-high heat until soft, 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and bacon and season with salt and pepper.
Return the chicken to the pan, nestling the pieces in the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the cheese. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cheese is browned and the chicken is opaque throughout, about 10 minutes. Spoon onto plates or serve directly from the pan. Serves 4.
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma One Pot of the Day, by Kate McMillan (Weldon Owen, 2012)