Chipotle-BBQ Chicken with Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes

There's nothing more tasty on a chilly November evening than good ol' hearty meat 'n' taters. However, the chicken-lover that I am didn't want to cook steak (plus I'm cheap and already had a ton of chicken in the freezer hehe). I don't remember if I tore this recipe for Chipotle-BBQ Chicken with Red-Skinned Mashed Potatoes out of my Food Network magazine or the latest issue of Rachael Ray, but its from one of the two :) Its got a little bit of heat to it (which I intensified with the addition of some extra chipotle pepper seasoning), but it can easily be made more mild but just cutting out some of the pepper or the addition of lime juice if you're a little adventurous to add some citrus (Chipotle pepper and lime juice is an EXCELLENT combo- great flavor profile for an easy grilled chicken salad so you don't need to add fatty dressings)

How Long Is This Gonna Take Me:
Roughly 1 hour, split between 30 mins prep and 30 mins baking time for the chicken. I always do my "baked" dishes on the weekends because I'm willing to give them more time.


What You'll Need:
6 tbsp butter (so you KNOW it has to be awesome. hehe)
6 large cloves garlic, chopped (or 1 tbsp minced from a jar)
1 large onion, chopped (I used about 1/2 a large red onion- any more would have been too much in my opinion)
1/4 cup chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, chopped (I didn't have to buy these since I had them left over from a couple weeks ago when I made the Fiery Chicken Chili- I just kept them in a sealed container in my fridge and they were as good as new)
3/4 cup ketchup
3 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
8 chicken thighs, about 2 pounds (I used 2 very large chicken breast, each sectioned into 3 fairly equal sized pieces for quicker cooking)
1.5 lbs small red-skinned potatoes (cut into half if you get the "baby" ones, or cubed if you get the larger ones)


What To Do:1. Preheat oven to 425F. Cover a rimmed baking dish with foil (and I then sprayed it with cooking spray for "extra protection"). In a deep skillet, melt 3 tbsp of the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to then remove garlic and place in small bowl (don't worry if you can't get it all- its not a huge deal). Add onions to skillet and cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes.

2. Add in chipotle chilies (with some extra sauce if you want some more heat), ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, worcestershire, and garlic (that you pulled out earlier) and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened.




3. Use tongs to coat chicken in sauce and place on baking sheet (feel free to spoon extra BBQ goodness over the top. That's what I did which is why the picture just looks like a mass of sauce.) Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes (a meat thermometer is your friend...worth the investment)

4. While the chicken cooks, in a large pot, cover the potatoes with salted water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until tender, about 10-12 minutes. Drain and then mash with remaining 3 tbsp butter. Mine looked a little dry so I added some milk too. Serve alongside the chicken.