This time of year, we’re all missing our mornings at the farmers’ market. Some are operating with restrictions and curbside pickup, like one of my favorites, Summit Produce in Kirkwood. Customers can pick up their fresh produce, local products and pasture-raised meats or shop in the fresh air themselves while practicing social distancing.
To have some fun, I partnered with Krissy at Summit for a local version of the show Chopped on Food Network. She put together a basket of surprise ingredients, and my challenge was to create a recipe using all of them! (Thankfully, she didn’t throw in anything too crazy.) The result: my new Southwest Stuffed Chicken.
southwest stuffed chicken
2 ½ – 3 lb. pasture-raised whole chicken
8 oz. sharp white cheddar
1 c uncooked Cahokia brown rice
4 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb. pork sausage
1 jar Woeber’s Reserve Southwest Mustard
6 tbsp unsalted butter
8 oz. chicken broth
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 large lemon
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°. Cook rice per package directions.
2. In a large skillet, add in 2 cloves minced garlic with 1 tbsp olive oil on medium low heat. Add in the pork sausage (breaking it into small pieces), 1 ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp cumin, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp pepper. Mix well.
3. Cut the 8 oz. block of cheese in half, and shred 4 oz. while the meat is cooking.
4. Add the shredded cheese and 3 tsp of the mustard to the pork mixture. Once the meat is cooked, add in 2 cups of the rice, and combine. Mix in 1 tbsp lemon juice and add 3 tbsp of chicken broth by tablespoon until the mixture thickens.
5. Transfer the stuffing to a large bowl to cool.
6. Clean off the chicken, and take out the gizzards to discard. Set it in an 8×10 greased baking dish.
7. In a 4-cup measuring glass, melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk in 3 tsp of the mustard. In a separate bowl, whisk ½ tsp chili powder, ½ tsp oregano, ½ tsp salt and 2 cloves minced garlic.
8. With your finger, gently separate the skin from the chicken on the top and underside, being careful not to tear it. Massage the spice mixture under the skin on top and bottom, covering the entire chicken. Do the same thing with the butter mixture. Place your chicken breast side down in the baking dish to ensure the breast meat doesn’t dry out.
9. Stuff the cavity ¾ full with the stuffing (it will expand while cooking). Pour ½ cup chicken broth in the dish. Cut up 1 lemon into four slices, and place around the chicken.
10. On the middle rack, roast for 20 minutes on 375; increase temperature to 400 and roast for another 20 minutes. Continue roasting until the chicken thigh temperature reaches 165 to 170 degrees (about 20 minutes per pound, so adjust accordingly).
11. Let the chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before cutting. Serve with extra stuffing and the veggie medley below!
lemon veggie & potato medley
1 large lemon
8 mini bell peppers
1 bunch asparagus
10 yukon gold potatoes
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1-2 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Pepper to taste
Directions
1. Cut off the wooded ends of the asparagus, about 1 inch, and cut remaining stalks into 2-inch pieces. Dice the mini bell peppers into bite-sized pieces. Place all in a bowl.
2. Dice your potatoes. In the same frying pan you used for the stuffing, add in the last clove of minced garlic and 2 tbsp of olive oil. Add in potatoes, and cook on medium low for 10-15 minutes. While cooking, sprinkle with half of the seasonings listed,
and toss.
3. When potatoes brown and start to crisp, pour half of the juiced lemon over the asparagus and red pepper mixture. Toss and pour into the skillet; mix.
4. Add in the rest of the seasoning, and continue to cook on medium low heat for about 10 more minutes. Add more lemon juice or seasoning to taste.
Note: If you start cooking this when chicken has been in the oven for 15 minutes, they should be ready about the same time!
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