ONE PAN BALSAMIC CHICKEN VEGGIE BAKE

~ The Real Food Dietitians

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
1/4 c. olive or avocado oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
3-4 T. fresh basil, finely chopped, plus more for garnish
1 t. fresh thyme or 1/2 t. dried thyme
1/2. t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 1/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs, cut in half if large
4-5 c. chopped broccoli
3-4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into thin sticks
2 c. mushrooms, cut in half if large
1 red onion, chopped
1/2 c. cherry or grape tomatoes

Preheat oven 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic, basil, thyme, salt, and pepper to make sauce. Place chicken in ziploc bag or glass container with about half of the sauce, moving around until fully coated. Place in fridge to marinate.

Chop broccoli, carrots, mushroom, onion, and tomatoes. Place all except the tomatoes on baking sheet. Top with remaining sauce and toss to coat. Remove marinated chicken pieces from fridge and nestle among veggies.

Bake 10 minutes, then remove from oven. Add tomatoes and toss veggies before placing baking sheet back in the oven. Bake 10 minutes longer or until chicken is cooked through. Garnish with additional basil before serving.

Notes: I often chop regular tomatoes because they're significantly less expensive than grape or cherry ones and we always have them on hand. The sauce can be prepared in advance and the chicken marinated longer than the time it takes to prepare the veggies. I skip the parchment paper on a baking sheet and use my Pampered Chef's stoneware instead.