Chicken traybakes: less juggling, more supper

Plan a chicken traybake around the cut you have, vegetables that cook at the right pace and a roasting tin with enough room for dinner.

Let the roasting tin take a turn

Some evenings the most appealing recipe is one that does not ask you to stand beside three pans. A chicken traybake can be a lovely answer: vegetables taking on colour, cooking juices to spoon over the plate and a kitchen that smells as though you have been trying considerably harder.

It still needs a little thought. Start with a reliable recipe for the chicken you have bought, rather than assuming every cut can go into the oven together and emerge at the same moment. The tin is helpful, but it is not magic.

Match the recipe to the chicken

Bone-in thighs, boneless pieces and breast fillets can need different cooking times and treatment. Read the pack, note the preparation and choose accordingly. If your chosen recipe uses a different cut, find a suitable alternative recipe or ask for advice rather than swapping blindly.

Check the tin before you begin. Spread the ingredients as the recipe directs, using a second tin if necessary. Trying to fit supper into something too small is usually the point where a simple dinner acquires a personality.

Give the vegetables a fair chance

Think about how long the vegetables take as well as how they look together. A substantial chunk of potato and a delicate courgette are not signing up for the same shift. Follow the recipe’s advice on size, any head start and when to add each ingredient.

Onions, peppers and tomatoes can make a welcoming combination; roots can give a more substantial plate. Add herbs and seasoning that suit the recipe, and remember that a spoonful of the cooking juices may be all the dressing the finished plate needs.

Prepare salad or a simple accompaniment while the oven does its work. Then put the knife down for a moment. You are allowed to enjoy the quieter part.

Check the chicken, then call everyone in

Chicken must be thoroughly cooked. Use a food thermometer and follow the pack or recipe’s safe time-and-temperature guidance; the FSA guidance below explains suitable checks. Browning on top is not enough to establish that the centre is ready. Keep raw-chicken utensils separate from cooked food.

Serve from the tin if that suits your table, using appropriate protection for the hot dish. A generous spoon, warm plates and something to catch the juices are usually more useful than precise restaurant arrangements.

If a traybake becomes a regular favourite, write down which recipe, cut and tin worked. That little note is worth keeping. Next time you need an uncomplicated supper, you will have a tested-by-you answer rather than another evening spent scrolling while everyone asks whether dinner is nearly ready.

Explore the relevant Malpas range
https://www.malpasfarmshop.co.uk/product-page/the-family-box-free-whole-uk-chicken

Read next
Beef mince ideas for ordinary, hungry evenings
https://www.malpasfarmshop.co.uk/portfolio/weekday-beef-mince-ideas

Freezing meat in portions: do future you a favour
https://www.malpasfarmshop.co.uk/portfolio/freezing-meat-in-portions

Further guidance
Food Standards Agency: Cooking your food
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/cooking-your-food/cooking-your-food

For illustration purposes only.