HOW TO MAKE the EASIEST One Tray Autumn Dinner

HOW TO MAKE the EASIEST One Tray Autumn Dinner

Presenter/channel: Backyard Chef — Rick

Overview

One-tray roast of chicken thighs, Brussels sprouts, carrots, red onion, garlic and bacon with a maple-Dijon glaze. Served with mashed potatoes and a loose gravy made from instant granules (or a thicker gravy if preferred). Quick, minimal fuss, festive-style comfort food.

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs, skin-on bone-in (preferred). Boneless/skinless OK as a substitution.
• Brussels sprouts — trim stem and outer leaves, halve.
• Carrots — baby carrots used in the video; if using large carrots, peel and cut into chunks.
• Red onion — small, peeled and cut into wedges.
• Garlic — whole cloves added to the tray (Rick does not mince into the glaze).
• Bacon — cubed or smoked bacon used; Rick suggests ~6 rashers of bacon as an alternate measurement. Substitutes: Canadian bacon, ham, etc.
• Olive oil — a little to coat the vegetables so they don’t stick.
• Salt and black pepper
• Smoked paprika — a little sprinkled on chicken
• Glaze:
  • ~3 tablespoons maple syrup
  • ~2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • ~1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • Melted butter — enough to combine and give a glossy finish (amount not exact in video)
  • Minced garlic optional in glaze (Rick leaves garlic whole in the tray)
• Instant gravy granules + boiling water (for a loose gravy)
• Mashed potatoes to serve: potatoes, salted water, butter, milk or sour cream (quantities not specified)

Equipment & prep

• Oven preheated to 200° (video states 200°; unit not specified).
• Large oven tray or sheet; foil to cover tray for initial roasting.
• Bowl and spoon/brush for glaze.
• Saucepan for gravy.
• Pot for boiling potatoes, colander, masher.
• Basic prep: trim and halve sprouts, peel and wedge onions, wash/trim carrots (or use baby carrots as-is), pat chicken dry if desired (Rick says not necessary), wash hands.

Step-by-step method

1. Preheat oven to 200° (as stated in the video).
2. Prepare vegetables:
   • Trim sprouts, remove bad outer leaves and halve.
   • Peel small red onions and cut into wedges.
   • Use baby carrots as-is or peel and chop large carrots into chunks.
   • Add whole garlic cloves to the veg/tray (unminced).
3. Assemble in the tray:
   • Place sprouts, carrots, onion wedges and garlic in the oven tray.
   • Scatter cubed/smoked bacon through the vegetables for flavor.
   • Drizzle a little olive oil over the vegetables and season with salt and pepper.
4. Season chicken:
   • Lightly season thighs with salt, pepper and smoked paprika on both sides.
   • Place chicken pieces on top of the vegetables in the tray.
5. Make the glaze:
   • Combine ~3 tbsp maple syrup, ~2 tbsp Dijon mustard, ~1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and some melted butter in a bowl; stir to combine.
   • Brush or drizzle some glaze over the chicken and a little over the vegetables, reserving some glaze for later basting.
6. Cover and roast:
   • Cover the tray tightly with foil and roast at 200° for about 35 minutes (covered).
7. Uncover and finish:
   • Remove foil carefully, baste with reserved glaze, and return tray to oven uncovered.
   • Roast uncovered for an additional 25–30 minutes until chicken skin is crispy and vegetables are cooked through (sprouts should be soft with a bit of crunch and not burned).
8. Make gravy:
   • While roasting, prepare instant gravy by mixing granules with boiling water in a pan and heating until thickened to a loose consistency (Rick prefers a loose gravy). Optionally stir some of the tray’s buttery-maple pan juices into the gravy to add flavor.
9. Mash potatoes:
   • Boil potatoes in salted water, drain, add butter and milk or sour cream to taste, and mash.
10. Serve: - Spoon mashed potato on the plate, top with roasted vegetables and chicken. Drizzle gravy over the mash and chicken; add extra mustard, cranberry sauce or stuffing if desired.

Chef tips & notes

You do not need to pat the chicken completely dry for this tray-bake — Rick leaves some moisture on it.

• Reserve some glaze before roasting covered so you can baste after uncovering to build a glossy, roasted finish.
• Use smoked paprika and smoked bacon to add smoky flavor through the dish.
• Don’t burn the maple glaze on sprouts — aim for cooked sprouts that are soft but still have a bit of crunch.
• Whole garlic cloves roast in the tray and flavor everything without needing to be minced.
• The tray’s pan juices (buttery maple glaze and chicken juices) make a great addition to the gravy.
• Instant gravy is fine for a quick dinner; make a thicker onion or roux-based gravy if you prefer.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overcooking or charring the maple glaze on sprouts — remove the tray earlier if browning too fast.
• Forgetting to reserve glaze for finishing — reserving some is important for a glossy finish.
• Overdoing the uncovered cook time — monitor the last 25–30 minutes so vegetables don’t burn.

Variations

• Use boneless skinless chicken if bone-in is not available.
• Swap cubed bacon for Canadian bacon or ham.
• Add minced garlic to the glaze for more garlic flavor.
• Make a thicker onion or roux-based gravy instead of instant granules.
• For a festive meal, add cranberry sauce and stuffing as accompaniments.

Plating and serving suggestions

• Serve with mashed potatoes and loose gravy spooned over the chicken and mash.
• Add a little Dijon mustard to individual servings for extra tang.
• Works well as an easy festive-style one-tray dinner — cranberry sauce and stuffing make optional sides.

Sources / credits

Recipe and instructions from Backyard Chef (presenter Rick) — content taken from the provided video subtitles.