Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Cider Sauce

I have been doing a little more cooking and less canning lately, although I'm hoping to do more canning in the near future.  I have been slightly obsessed (as I get each fall) with cooking magazines and cookbooks, and I've been trying to add some new dishes to the weeknight line-up around here. 

This is a dish I had been meaning to try for awhile, but finally got around to several days ago.  It was perfect for a busy weeknight as it was quick to prepare, and it was so good it had me looking forward to the leftovers at lunch (which if you know anything about me and leftovers is really saying a lot). 

The chicken for this dish is browned in olive oil and finished in the oven. I roasted red potatoes in the oven with a little thyme and garlic which worked well because it allowed me to slide the potatoes over to make a little room for the chicken in the last 10 minutes of cooking.  This saved me one dirty dish which is always a major plus in my world.   

The Brussels sprouts were cooked until brown and tender in a separate pan while the sauce was being made where the chicken had been browned originally.  And let me tell you about this sauce.  It is amazing!  It's zesty and tangy from the whole grain mustard and slightly sweet from the cider.  I found it needed a tad more sweetness, so I added a little honey.  I also increased the quantity of sauce and thickened it with a cornstarch slurry.   

All in all, a very quick and satisfying fall meal that I will definitely be making again very soon!

Chicken with Brussels Sprouts and Mustard Cider Sauce- serves 4
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light 

2 Tbsp olive oil, divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
1/2 unfiltered apple cider
2 Tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsp butter, divided
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet on high heat.  Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.  Add the chicken to the skillet and cook 3 minutes per side until nicely browned.  Place the chicken in an oven-proof baking dish (or on the sheet pan where you are roasting the potatoes if you choose to do so) and bake 9 minutes or until done. 

In the meantime, add 1 cup broth and the cider to the pan where the chicken was browned.  Scrap any bits from the bottom of the pan, and bring the mixture to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium low and simmer 4 minutes.  Ladle several tablespoons of the broth mixture into a small bowl and add the cornstarch to the bowl to create a slurry.  Whisk this mixture until the slurry is smooth with no lumps of cornstarch remaining.  Slowly whisk a little of the slurry mixture (you may not need to use it all) into the broth mixture in the pan and boil to thicken.  Add more slurry as needed until the sauce it thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.  Add the mustard and honey to the sauce and whisk to combine.  Remove the pan from the heat and swirl in 1 tablespoon of butter until melted. 

While making the sauce, heat 1 tablespoon of oil and 1 tablespoon butter in another skillet on medium-high heat.  Add the Brussels sprouts and saute 2 minutes to brown.  Season with remaining salt.  Add 1/4 cup broth to the pan, cover, and cook 4 minutes until the sprouts are crisp tender.  Serve the chicken topped with the sprouts and a drizzle of sauce. 

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