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cranberry orange chicken thighs
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Christmas Dinner for 2-4

This is the best Christmas dinner menu for when you're serving a small gathering. It's ready in under 3 hours, start to finish.
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time2 hours
Total Time3 hours
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chicken, Potatoes, salad
Servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 4 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
  • 3/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 1 orange halved (juiced and zested)
  • 1 cup cranberry juice
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and black pepper

For the potatoes

  • 4 medium Russet potatoes
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese finely grated
  • 1/2 cup Cheddar or Gruyere cheese finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

For the salad

  • 1/4 cup walnuts roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup shelled pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 4 cups mixed greens with frisee
  • 1 apple chopped
  • 1 avocado sliced
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds
  • 1/2 cup blue cheese or feta crumbled
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • Salt and black pepper to season

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a cast-iron or oven-safe skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the chicken, skin-side-down, and sear until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the skillet.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Add the cranberries and rosemary sprig and saute for 2 minutes.
  • Zest half the orange then cut it in half and juice that half, reserving the unzested half for later.
  • Pour in the cranberry and orange juices and deglaze the pan to pull up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
  • Add the orange zest, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, salt and pepper. Stir it all up. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat
  • Remove about 1/4 of the cranberry sauce from the pan. Add the chicken back in, skin side up.
  • Spoon some of the cranberry sauce from the skillet over the top of the chicken.
  • Bake for 10 minutes, then baste the chicken with the reserved sauce and continue baking for another 5-8 minutes, until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 175 degrees F. Remove from the heat.
  • Grab the remaining orange half and cut it into slices. Place those around the pan to garnish the finished dish. Then serve.
  • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
  • Using a mandoline or a very sharp knife, cut the potatoes into ⅛” slices.
  • In a large bowl, stir together the butter, garlic, cheeses, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper. Add in the potatoes and toss well to coat.
  • Layer the potato slices in each well of the muffin tin all the way to the top.
  • Place the muffin tin on a baking sheet and cover with tinfoil.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and continue cooking for another 20-25 minutes. The potatoes should be tender and golden.
  • Slide a paring knife around the outside of each stack to release it then use the knife to lift the stack out.
  • Garnish with flake salt and some fresh thyme. Serve immediately.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Toss the walnuts and pumpkin seeds with maple syrup, and smoked paprika. Spread them on the baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes, shaking the sheet halfway.
  • In a small jar or bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, mustard, orange juice and zest. Shake well.
  • In a large salad bowl, combine the lettuce, apple, avocado, pomegranate seeds, blue cheese and toasted nuts. Toss carefully to combine.
  • Drizzle the dressing over the salad and season lightly with salt and pepper.

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