Summer Feast: Roasted Chicken, Italian Sausage and Potatoes

A few weeks ago, my youngest daughter Erin celebrated her 21st birthday.  In honor of this event, we invited a few of her friends (and their parents) over on a Friday night.  As we planned the event, we had to wrestle with two issues.  First, as young adults tend to have a fluid social calendar, we weren't exactly sure how many would attend.  So how much food do we cook?  Our second concern was that this was to be held on a Friday night.  As small business owners, we tend to have long weeks.  By Friday, we're exhausted.  So from an entertaining perspective - what could we fix that would require maximum flavor with minimal effort?  And isn't this everyone's conundrum in summer?

I needed a one-pot meal.  Something that I could scale to feed a crowd.  Something simple to prepare - but that would be satisfying too. And given the age of the attendees, something that paired well with beer.  

I harkened back to my NJ days.  Days of summer fun at the pool and classic Italian-American fare.  I thought of my brother-in-law who makes this great dish each summer when we visit the Jersey shore.   The dish? Roasted chicken, Italian sausage, and potatoes.  

I can't explain why I like this so much.  The chicken is typically dark meat (thighs) and roasted with olive oil so the skin is crispy.  I made one platter with hot Italian sausages and another with mild sausages.   The savory sausages with rich chicken and roasted potatoes and onions - it just works.  I used big disposal aluminum trays just to keep things simple. 

We ended up serving 14 people.  I had tripled the recipe meaning I had six pounds of chicken and six pounds of sausage.  We had a 1 quart container of leftovers.    That's all you need to know. 

Again, this isn't complex fare, but it gets rave reviews and works in summer when you need to feed a crowd. 

Pair it with a salad, some crusty bread, a nice red wine (or beer) and it's a winner.  The weekend is coming up!  Fix a batch and let me know how it goes!

Roasted Chicken, Italian Sausage and Potatoes

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry red wine [or balsamic vinegar]

1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme

1/2 tsp. kosher salt [or coarse sea salt]

2 1/2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs

2 lbs. sweet Italian sausage links or hot Italian sausage (you pick), cut into 2-inch chunks

4 medium potatoes, cut in half and then sliced into 1/2 moon discs.

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425°.

2. In small bowl, combine Olive Oil, wine, thyme and salt. In large, shallow roasting pan, toss potatoes, onions, with oil mixture. Toss to coat. 

3. Roast potatoes 1/2 hour or until potatoes begin to brown.  Then add chicken and sausage, re-toss,  and cook an additional hour or so until chicken is thoroughly cooked.  

4. Enjoy the party.