After the holidays, I had several random ingredients laying around and was overwhelmed by all the red meat and heavy foods I ate for the past two weeks. I knew I wanted something lighter for dinner and immediately thought about chicken. Did I want it baked or would I rather have a pasta dish? Then, I saw the cherry tomatoes on my counter and immediately thought about bruschetta. I was all over the place. Rather than spiral into the misery of indecisiveness, I decided to make it all in one dish, and let my boyfriend and son decide how they wanted to eat the prepared chicken. This got me thinking about how to maximize my time and stretch my cooking into more than one meal. 

The dish is incredibly easy to make; season chicken thighs, place them in a casserole dish, and pour a tomato and garlic marinade on top and bake. That’s all. You might think the chicken will be dry because there isn’t much liquid from the marinade, but the chicken fat renders and melds into the tomato juices and marinade as it cooks to make a deliciously light and flavorful sauce. You can serve the chicken whole, as is, with rice pilaf or roasted vegetables and extra sauce poured on top, or chop the chicken thighs and toss with sauce and blistered tomatoes with angel hair pasta. If you have leftovers, chop the remaining thighs and top toasted bread with the cold chicken, tomatoes, and sauce and sprinkle with cheese and fresh basil for a heartier version of bruschetta for lunch.

I’m becoming a fan of the idea of a one-dish bake that has three serving possibilities. It allows more time to be creative in the kitchen — and less time spent cooking.  

Cherry Tomato & Garlic Chicken 
Serves 4-6 

Ingredients
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt and ground black pepper
2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved lengthwise
8 cloves garlic, minced
1½ shallots, thinly sliced
1½ tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1½ teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano 

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. 
2. Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Arrange chicken thighs, tucking excess fat underneath the thighs in a casserole dish. 
3. In a medium bowl, toss together tomatoes, garlic, shallots, vinegar, oil, and herbs to evenly coat. Pour tomato mixture over the chicken and spread evenly, making sure tomatoes and shallots are on and around the thighs and covered with the marinade. 
4. Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and tomatoes are slightly blistered. 
5. Serve warm with rice pilaf, pasta, or crunchy bread. 

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