Chicken, Apple, and Potato Bake

Don't you just love mornings where you stick your arm out the door to see what the weather is like and it's just chilly enough outside to need a light sweater? I know I do. It has been a wonderful week of sunny days and cooler temps here and it has really put me in the mood for a nice fall dinner. Like this Chicken, Apple and Potato Bake, for example. It's apple season and this recipe is a great way to use them. This meal is really easy to put together and you have several options for the types of ingredients you use. I chose chicken breast, Fuji apples, and red potatoes, but it would be just as well with chicken thighs, granny smith apples, and Yukon gold potatoes. You can use whatever you have on hand or whichever ingredients are your favorite. Serve this with your favorite green veggie and you're all set for a great meal on a chilly fall evening. Enjoy!

Chicken, Apple, and Potato Bake
Adapted from: Carrie Leber

3 cups chicken broth
1 cup apple juice
1 3/4 pounds Red Potatoes (or Yukon Gold), cut into quarters
2 Large Fuji apples (or other apple), cored, cut into quarters
5 tablespoons butter
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
6 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
3 teaspoons parsley

1. Combine first chicken broth and apple juice in a large pot and bring to boil.  Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer.
2. Add potatoes and apples to pot.  Cover; simmer until very tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.  Using slotted spoon, transfer potatoes and apples to large bowl; add 3 tablespoons butter and toss with with salt and pepper. Pour broth mixture from pot into medium bowl; reserve pot. Transfer potato and apple mixture to a greased 9x13 casserole dish.
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and 4 teaspoons thyme, and 2 teaspoons parsley. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in reserved pot over medium-high heat. Brown all of the chicken on both sides and place in the casserole dish.
4. Return broth mixture to same pot; Boil over medium-high heat until sauce is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, scraping up browned bits, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper, and additional thyme and parsley. Spoon over chicken.
5. Bake uncovered until potatoes are crisp and chicken is cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.

Serves 4