Name: Skillet-Roasted Chicken and Stuffing for Two
Total time: 1 h 15 min
Ingredients: 2 (10- to 12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breast , trimmed; Salt and pepper; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter; 1 tablespoon minced fresh sage; 1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme; 1 onion , chopped fine; 1 celery rib , chopped fine; 5 ounces Italian bread , cut into ½-inch cubes (4 cups); ½ cup chicken broth

Why This Recipe Works

Two drawbacks of Thanksgiving (and the turkey and stuffing) are that it comes only once a year and that the cooking can be such a fuss. Our goal for this recipe was to make a meal for two that would satisfy the poultry-and-stuffing craving at other times of the year while minimizing the effort required. Browning bone-in split chicken breasts in a skillet gave us not only plenty of tender white meat but also crispy skin. Plus, the chicken's rendered juices helped us build a flavorful stuffing that mimicked the real thing. Topping the stuffing with the seared chicken to finish cooking in the oven ensured that the savory bread cubes collected even more chicken flavor. We used the butter and herbs that we stirred into the stuffing to baste the chicken, creating well-seasoned skin.

Before You Begin

The fresh herbs make a big flavor difference in this recipe; do not use dried herbs. You can find Italian bread in the bakery section of your supermarket.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Combine melted butter, sage, thyme, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in bowl.

Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to plate, skin side up.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onion and celery to now-empty skillet and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Stir in bread and 2 tablespoons melted butter mixture. Cook, stirring often, until bread begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Off heat, stir in broth.

Place chicken, skin side up, on top of stuffing. Using pastry brush, brush skin with remaining 1 tablespoon melted butter mixture. Transfer skillet to oven and roast until chicken registers 160 degrees and stuffing has browned, 25 to 30 minutes, rotating skillet halfway through roasting. Transfer chicken to carving board, tent with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes. Stir stuffing to combine. Carve chicken from bones and slice ½ inch thick. Serve stuffing with chicken.