Roast chicken recipe with butternut squash

I love my sheet pan. I can cook an entire well-balanced meal full of vibrant flavors and textures and have only one pan to clean at the end of the night. (But the truth is, I would make this dinner even if there was a whole lot of cleanup — it’s that tasty.)

The spice rub takes no time to throw together, and if you buy precut fresh butternut squash, the prep for the entire meal is probably about 10 minutes (plus cooking). You can make this dinner with all dark or all light meat if you prefer, but a whole cut-up chicken ensures each diner at my table gets what they prefer.

Temperature is the best way to judge doneness: insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally into the thickest piece so the tip is in the center and not touching the bone. Breasts should be cooked to 160-165 degrees, by which time the thighs (which are smaller) will be at the perfect 175 degrees.

Roast Chicken, Butternut Squash and Shallots

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

½ a medium butternut squash, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks

8 shallots, peeled and halved lengthwise

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 5-pound chicken, cut up

1 5-ounce bag baby spinach

1. Preheat the oven to 425. Coat a sheet pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine the paprika, salt, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne in a small bowl.

3. Toss the squash and shallots with the olive oil until the pieces are evenly coated. Add 2 teaspoons of the spice blend and toss well. Spread out on the sheet pan.

4. Place the chicken on and around the vegetables and sprinkle with the remaining spice mixture. Pat the mixture lightly into the chicken. Bake until the thickest piece of the breast reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees, about 35 minutes.

5. Toss the spinach with 2 tablespoons water, and place the spinach over the chicken and vegetables. Return to the oven for 2 minutes.

6. Use tongs to place the spinach on plates or a platter, and top with the chicken and remaining vegetables.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS