Smoky Paprika Chicken and Veggie Bowls

 Smoky Paprika Chicken and Veggie Bowls

     This is my new favorite meal to make. It has tons of flavor, and is so easy to put together. The warm spices on the chicken make it a perfectly cozy fall meal. You can switch up the roasted veggies based on what you have on hand or your preference. I like the combination of a sweeter veggie like sweet potatoes, carrots, or butternut squash paired with a more savory vegetable with cauliflower. When I'm not in the mood to cook diner I usually put a sheet pan meal in the oven. I love that you can put the ingredients in the oven and come back later and have a delicious hands off meal ready! If you use parchment paper on your sheet pan a bonus is that clean up is easy also! No pans to wash, which is always a bonus. 

Smoky Paprika Chicken and Veggie Bowls

Serves 4-6

Ingredients 

Smoky Paprika Chicken 

2 pounds chicken breast

3 TBSP olive oil 

1 TBSP smoked paprika 

2 tsp cumin 

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp cinnamon 

1 garlic clove finely minced

1 TBSP honey

2 TBSP lemon juice

zest of one lemon

1/2 tsp salt

Roasted Veggies

1 head of cauliflower broken into large florets

2 medium sweet potatoes cut into 1/4 inch rounds

2 TBSP olive oil 

1 TBSP sesame seeds

salt to taste 

store bought or homemade hummus to top bowls with 

Directions

1) Pre-heat oven to 400 and line two sheet pans with parchment paper

2) Place the cauliflower florets and sweet potatoes on one of the sheet pans and drizzle with the olive oil. Salt the vegetables generously and use your hands to make sure the veggies are evenly coated. Spread the vegetables out on the pan leaving room in between so they will roast without steaming. 

3) Place the sheet pan with the vegetables in the oven and set a timer for 30 minutes. 

4) Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the ingredients for the chicken rub and stir to combine. If your chicken breasts are thick place in a ziplock bag and pound to make them even and thinner. I have found this really helps to get juicy and evenly cooked chicken in the oven. 

5) On the second sheet pan place the chicken breast. Using a spoon coat one side of the chicken breasts with the paprika mixture, flip, and then coat the other side. 

6) When the timer for the veggies goes off take the vegetables out of the oven, stir them to make sure they are evenly roasting and sprinkle with the 1 TBSP of sesame seeds. Return the vegetables to the oven and place the sheet pan with the chicken in the oven also. Bake for another 15-20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and reaches a temperature of 165 and the vegetables are starting to brown. Depending on the size of your vegetables in may take longer or shorter so take them out before the chicken is cooked if they are getting too dark. 

7) Remove the sheet pans from the oven and allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before cutting. 

8) In each bowl add sweet potatoes, cauliflower, sliced chicken, and then top with a spoonful of hummus! I think the perfect bite has a little of each of these in it. Adjust salt as needed, I always like to finish my dishes with a little sprinkle of salt.  

Enjoy! 

* You can mix up the veggies in this meal I like the combination of a sweeter veggie like sweet potato, butternut squash, or carrots paired with a more savory vegetable like cauliflower or brussels sprouts.