Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Crispy Pesto Potatoes

Hi everyone!! Sorry for not posting this week. I've started up summer school and I have a test on Monday, so I have been studying away. But, I managed to cook dinner tonight, which I hadn't done in over a week!! Anyway, I like chicken thighs a lot. I always buy them in bulk and then put them in all different kinds of marinades. Chicken thighs just manage to stay so moist and they can soak up any flavor you want. So, I mixed together one of my favorite chicken marinades with some Italian flavor. I kind of consider it to be my "Italian teriyaki chicken". Because the sauce reduces down and gets very thick and syrupy that's very similar to a teriyaki sauce. I served the Balsamic Chicken with some Crispy Pesto Potatoes. Enjoy :)

Balsamic Chicken Thighs with Crispy Pesto Potatoes & Sauteed Mushrooms

For the Chicken:

½C Balsamic Vinegar

½C Honey

½C Brown Sugar

¼C Soy Sauce

5 Sprigs of Rosemary

1T Garlic, Chopped

6 Chicken Thighs, Skinless & Boneless

¼C Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions:

1. The day before: wash and dry the chicken thighs and place them in a gallon freezer bag. In a mixing bowl, mix together the vinegar, honey, sugar, soy sauce, rosemary, and garlic. Pour this mixture over the chicken thighs and let it marinate for at least 4 hours, preferably over night.
2. The day of: remove the chicken from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature for about an hour. This will help the chicken grill and not steam.
3. To cook the chicken: heat a grill pan (I use my George Foreman) to medium-high heat and spray with Pam. Dry the marinated chicken thighs, so that there is no excess sauce. Grill each thigh for 2-3 minutes on each side, just so that they are starting to caramelize. Remove the grilled thighs and place on tin foil in a baking dish and bake at 400 for 15-20 minutes.
4. If you would like your balsamic chicken to be a little saucier, bring the marinade to a boil, then reduce to low-medium heat for 15-20 minutes (making sure you whisk constantly) until it is thick and syrupy. With 10 minutes left of the baking process, glaze the thighs with the sauce. Also, glaze once again when the thighs are done.
5. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the fresh chopped parsley.

For the Potatoes:

1 ½lbs Red Potatoes, Cut into Quarters

2T Olive Oil

1T Pesto

1T Fresh Basil, Chopped

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

Directions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and spray a deep pan with Pam, then set aside.

2. Toss together the quartered potatoes with the olive oil, pesto, salt, and pepper, so that it is equally distributed.

3. Bake in the oven for an hour (for more crispy potatoes). Once you remove them from the oven, toss them with the fresh chopped basil, and then serve.

source: balsamic chicken drumettes.