Spring was well underway at Casa Adora — warm enough to eat outside and too pleasant to spend the afternoon in the kitchen. I had a guest who doesn't eat red meat but will happily eat chicken and fish, so chicken it was. One tray, two chicken breasts, parboiled potatoes, asparagus added halfway through, and a batch of homemade veggie patties – turnip, carrot, cauliflower and parmesan – arranged around the edges. Everything goes in together, the chicken juices seep into the potatoes, and thirty-five minutes later it's done.

A NOTE ON THE VEGGIE PATTIES

These are worth making — turnip, carrot and cauliflower bound with parmesan and a little flour, formed into small patties and roasted alongside the chicken. They catch the garlicky cooking juices beautifully. If you don't have time, roasted root vegetables work just as well in this chicken tray bake.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
• 3–4 parboiled potatoes, cut into chunks
• 6–8 asparagus spears
• 2–4 veggie patties (turnip, carrot, cauliflower and parmesan)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• A few sprigs of thyme or rosemary, or dried herbs
• Olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Optional: zest of half a lemon or a drizzle of balsamic vinegar

How to Make Chicken Tray Bake

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan 180°C).
2. Place the chicken breasts skin side up in the centre of a roasting tray. Arrange the parboiled potatoes and veggie patties around them, leaving space for the asparagus.
3. Drizzle everything with olive oil. Add the crushed garlic, herbs, salt and pepper and toss lightly to coat.
4. Roast for 20 minutes.
5. Add the asparagus spears, tossed in a little olive oil and seasoning. Return to the oven for a further 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear, the potatoes are golden, and the asparagus is tender.
6. Finish with a squeeze of lemon or a drizzle of balsamic if you like. Serve straight from the tray.

Everything on one tray, one lot of washing up, and a proper spring lunch. The veggie patties are the surprise here — they absorb the garlicky chicken juices as they roast and end up considerably better than they have any right to be. If you enjoy easy chicken bakes, try the baked chicken with potato and onion – a simpler version along similar lines.

This chicken tray bake recipe is part of the Chicken Recipes hub — a complete collection of chicken and poultry recipes from Casa Adora and the road. Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef.