Butter Baked Chicken Thighs

This delicious, Keto-friendly chicken thigh recipe is perfect for busy weeknights. Melt a little butter, add a few herbs and spiced from the pantry, and pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes. Easy peasy.

Start with melted butter, herbs, and spices (be sure to crush the dried rosemary into smaller pieces).

Whisk the butter, herbs, and spices together.

Place bite-size chicken thigh pieces in a casserole dish and pour the melted butter mixture over the chicken. Use tongs to toss and coat all the chicken and arrange in a single layer. Bake uncovered for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve the chicken with the pan drippings over rice or riced cauliflower. Enjoy!

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 2-quart casserole dish https://amzn.to/2ZjYj6K

• small whisk https://amzn.to/2zisDEn

• my favorite tongs https://amzn.to/3e1ST4A

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Butter Baked Chicken Thighs

makes 4 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 to 2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 3/4 teaspoon ground sage

• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

• 1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram

• 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed in the palm of your hand

• 1/8 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

• optional: sliced scallions for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F and place rack in center position.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together melted butter, sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, salt, and pepper.

3. Place chicken pieces in a 2-quart casserole dish.

4. Pour butter mixture over chicken and turn pieces to coat; arrange pieces in a single layer.

5. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Note

• Serve chicken with pan drippings over rice or riced cauliflower.

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Cheesy Meatball Casserole

I love the simplicity of this dish. No matter how busy my day is, I can pull a bag of my make ahead freezer meatballs out of the freezer and grab a can of crushed tomatoes from the pantry to put a hot meal on the table in less than an hour. Served with a salad or steamed vegetable on the side, it’s a very satisfying meal.

To make the sauce, sauce a minced clove of garlic in a little olive oil for 30-60 seconds. If you like heat, add some crushed red pepper flakes too. Immediately add a 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes (remember, the better the tomatoes, the better your sauce will taste). Stir to combine.

Cover skillet with splatter shield and simmer sauce over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add meatballs (and fresh basil if using) and stir to coat. Cover with splatter shield again and continue simmering for about 10 minutes.

Turn off stovetop and uncover skillet. Sprinkle shredded part-skim mozzarella and crushed dried parsley all over the meatballs and place in preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until the cheese melts and develops a few toasty brown spots.

Items used to make this recipe:

(affiliate links)

• 12-inch cast iron skillet https://amzn.to/3cztoY6

• splatter shield https://amzn.to/2XdPnxb

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Cheesy Meatball Casserole

makes 6 servings

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (or more)

• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 28 ounces crushed tomatoes

• 1/4 recipe Make Ahead Freezer Meatballs (about 1 1/2 pounds)

• 1-2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

• garnish: chopped fresh basil or parsley

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375F.

• In a 12-inch oven-safe skillet on medium, heat the olive oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper flakes, stirring constantly, until oil bubbles and garlic is fragrant (should only take a minute or so).

• Immediately add crushed red pepper flakes and reduce heat to medium low; cover with a splatter shield and bring to a gentle boil.

• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Add frozen meatballs and toss to coat; cover and heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

• Uncover skillet and spread cheese evenly over the surface; place skillet in center of preheated oven until cheese melts and browns a bit.

• Remove from oven and sprinkle with freshly chopped basil or parsley.

Note

• I used 1/4 batch of my Make Ahead Freezer Meatballs for to make this recipe (about 1.5 pounds of meatballs).