Clap clap clapclapclap! Sorry, I couldn’t resist. My husband & chief taste tester came up with the name for this delicious sheet pan supper. Can you tell we’re both Syracuse fans? 

I was out in the garden earlier, doing a little clean-up. I’m amazed at how much is still out there, considering it’s October. I decided I was in the mood for beets, & pulled up this whopper. I’ve been growing a variety called Cylindra this year, which my autocorrect continues to insist is Cylinder. It’s not. It is, however, a cylinder-shaped beet. So you get more beet per square inch of garden space, an important consideration when you have to garden in boxes.

Anyway, I’d picked up some chicken thighs on the way home from the gym this morning. But I have to confess, I had no plan and I really didn’t feel like cooking tonight. That’s when sheet pan suppers are a real lifesaver! I’ll also admit that this particular sheet pan supper was more serendipity than skill. I had my beet and my chicken. What goes with beets? Orange! Can you roast an orange? I had no idea, but was game to give it a try, and there was one in the fridge. It’s actually quite yummy! A little rosemary (which needed pruning anyway), some garlic, a half-head of cauliflower I needed to use up, and I was well on my way to what may now be one of my favorite sheet pan suppers. The colors are so pretty, and the light orange flavor pulls it all together. I was quite surprised at how few calories the dish has. I felt really full!

If you don’t have the blood orange olive oil, you could substitute mixing either a few drops of orange oil or extract or  a bit of orange zest mixed with extra-virgin olive oil. (Just ignore the bell pepper in the photo. I ended up not using it.) You’ll find a printer-friendly version of the recipe at the bottom of this page.

Suggested wine pairing: J Vineyards Pinot Gris 

Ingredients:

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

¼ – ½ head cauliflower

1 small onion

1 navel orange

1 large beet

2 cloves garlic

1 sprig fresh Rosemary (about a Tbsp of loosely packed leaves)

1 Tbsp + 1 tsp Oliva’s  Blood Orange Olive Oil, divided

¼ tsp salt

¼ freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

1.) Preheat oven to 375°F. Peel the beet, and slice it into ¾” rounds or half-rounds. Do the same with the onion. Slice the orange the same thickness, but don’t peel it. Separate the cauliflower into florets. Place all of these on a foil-covered sheet pan. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of the orange olive oil over the fruits & veggies, and toss to coat.

2.) Tuck the chicken thighs in between the veggies & oranges, keeping everything as a single layer. Sprinkle the salt & pepper over it all.

3.) Mince the garlic & rosemary, & stir in the last tsp of the olive oil. Spread a bit of the mixture over each chicken piece, & just a touch on the cauliflower, too.

4.) Pop the pan in the oven. Bake 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and beets are fork-tender.