Out of all the appliances I use in my kitchen on a daily basis I’d have to say my blender feels the most love. I use it for everything from morning smoothies to sauces and soups; it’s practically replaced my food processer. So when KitchenAidÂź asked if I’d whirl up a few recipes with their new Pro LineÂź Series Blender I jumped at the opportunity.
When the blender arrived I quickly found a home for it on my counter and began experimenting…really putting it to the test. Spinning, chopping and pulsing my morning smoothies, salsas, sauces, and soup. I mean if I was truly going to write and share it will all of you I needed to know, was it really better than my current beloved blender. And shockingly the answer was yes. Here’s why: the top was so much easier to work with especially when you needed to remove it during mixing. It has more power. And probably my favorite part, it self cleans! Just add a drop of soap and a little water and press go. Game changer.
So now that we’ve established why I love the KitchenAidÂź ProLineÂź Series Blender, let’s talk about what I actually made…Sheet Pan Tomatillo Salsa Chicken with Potatoes and Red Onions. If you follow along on Snapchat or Instagram then you’d know I have a little garden where I’m growing cilantro, onions, jalepenos, peppers, and a HUGE tomatillo plant. Why tomatillos? Because the hubs and I LOVE tomatillo salsa. And I may be biased, but I really believe I make the best tomatillo salsa (the secret is in the roasting and the sugar). If you’re not familiar with tomatillos they are bright green with a tart flavor and known as the Mexican husk tomato (you actually have to remove the husk from the tomatillo). You can usually find them in your local Whole Foods in the produce section by the jalepenos. And while we’ve always enjoyed the tomatillo salsa on tacos and with chips I wanted to mix it up and incorporate it in a more traditional way. Enter chicken, potatoes and red onions.
I love making chicken in a roasting or sheet pan because of the natural caramelization process that happens to the chicken and whatever else you roast with it; in this case red bliss baby potatoes and red onions. Topped with a herb, garlic, olive oil and onion rub and doused with fresh tomatillo salsa from the blender you are in for an easy and amazing meal that is so much easier to make than it looks. Snag the recipes below and let me know how it turns out for you and your family! Truly, MKR
P.S. I’ve went through quite a few blenders in my lifetime; from the under $60 versions when I was twenty-two living in my shoebox of an apartment, to the mid-range, and finally making it up to the splurge worthy model thanks to our wedding registry. And one things for sure, I should have just splurged in the beginning. If a blender is something you’ll use and have for years to come then bite the bullet and pony up for the Pro LineÂź otherwise you’ll be replace your mid-tier model every single year. xo
- For the salsa...
- 6-8 Tomatillos husked, halved & roasted (just place on a roasting pan and roast in the oven until the tomatillos begin to burst and brown
- 1 Red onion, quartered
- 1 handful of cilantro
- 1 Jalepeno, halved
- 4 Garlic cloves
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1-2 Tablespoons of sugar
- pinch of salt
- For the chicken...
- 2 Organic whole chickens, broken down
- 2 red onions, cut into quarters
- 1 bag of baby red bliss potatoes halved
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- 5-6 garlic cloves
- For the garlic herb rub...
- 1/2 red onion, finely diced
- 4-5 garlic cloves, finely diced
- 1 handful of parsley, finely diced
- 1 handful of cilantro, finely diced
- 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
- Pink of salt and pepper
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees
- In a blender add all of the ingredients for the Tomatillo salsa and blend until combined. Keep tasting and adjust, sugar and salt levels accordingly. Set aside.
- Creat the herb mixture. Simply mix the the finely diced onion, garlic, and herbs with olive oil; mixing together with your fingers till it becomes almost a thick, chunky paste. Set aside.
- In a large roasting pan or sheet pan place chicken, potatoes, onions, and garlic cloves evenly. Sprinkle salt & pepper over everything.
- Take the herb mixture and spread over each piece of chicken evenly. Drizzle everything in the roasting pan with olive oil and place in the oven to cook.
- Approximately 30 minutes into cooking drizzle a quarter of the Tomatillo Salsa over the chicken. Continue to cook the chicken until through, approximately 15 more minutes.
- Remove pan from the oven and drizzle the entire mixture with the Tomatillo Salsa, reserving 1/4 of it for additional dipping.
- Plate or simply serve directly from the sheet pan and enjoy.
- **In breaking down a whole chicken you should save the caracas and any additional pieces not used for homemade chicken stock**
