ROASTED STUFFED CHICKEN LEGS

It was a cold night last week when I made this dinner. Too cold to go outside and cook on the grill. Well, not really, but it felt like it to me. Starting the oven seemed like a better idea. So I made a little bread stuffing for the chicken legs and roasted them. As long as the oven was on, I threw in some baby Yukon gold potatoes and a stuffed tomato for Guy. And I had
creamy delicata squash. Yumm. What a good dinner it was.


Roasted Stuffed Chicken Legs
INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbsp. Smart Balance or butter
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped mushrooms
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1/4 tsp. sea salt
big pinch black pepper
1/8 tsp. poultry seasoning
1/2 cup crumbled bread (1/2 white, 1/2 whole wheat)
2 Tbsp. chicken broth
2 whole chicken legs with thigs

In a medium-sized skillet, saute the onion, celery and mushrooms in the Smart Balance until transparent, about 5 minutes. Add parsley, salt, pepper, poultry seasoning, and bread and stir together with a fork until well combined. Sprinkle the chicken broth over all. Cool thoroughly.
Preheat oven to 400F. With fingers, gently lift the skin that is over the thigh portion of the chicken. Place stuffing under the skin, pushing it down into the drumstick and as far as you can get it to go without splitting the skin. Close the ends with toothpicks or skewers. (I used metal corn skewers.) Place the chicken in a baking pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Add whatever you want to the pan to roast alongside the chicken. Little potatoes are nice. You can also do other veggies: peppers, onions, squash, broccoli. But I would add broccoli and squash nearer the end of cooking -- maybe 20 minutes before the end. You can baste everything with chicken broth if it needs it, but not too much, you don't want a soggy meal. The chicken should take about 30-40 minutes. Check the thigh joint for doneness, or insert a meat thermometer. Somehow, a meal like this, when it's cold outside, is maximum comfort. It's not just the heat of the oven. It's the whole package. Try it; you'll see.