4boneless skinless chicken breasts(2 to 2 ½ pounds total)
1cuppesto
3tablespoonswhite wine vinegar
1teaspoonsalt
Freshly ground black pepper
For the Vegetables:
1poundbaby red potatoeshalved or quartered into equal pieces
5tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oilDIVIDED
1 ½teaspoonsgarlic saltDIVIDED
1poundasparagustrimmed & cut into 2-inch pieces
Instructions
Place the chicken breasts in a gallon-sized, zip-top, plastic bag. Add the pesto, white wine vinegar, salt, and pepper. Seal the bag and squeeze to combine the ingredients and coat the chicken. Place the bag in a dish and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 6, and up to 12, hours. You may squeeze and turn the bag halfway through the marinating time, if desired.
Adjust the oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the marinated chicken from the fridge to start coming to room temperature.
Add the cut potatoes to a large bowl (or another gallon-sized plastic bag). Drizzle with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon garlic salt and pepper. Toss (or shake) until the potatoes are evenly coated with the oil and seasonings. Dump the potatoes onto a sheet pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 20 minutes.
Add the asparagus pieces to the same bowl (or bag) used for the potatoes. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with ¾ teaspoon garlic salt and pepper. Toss (or shake) to coat the asparagus and set aside.
After the potatoes have cooked for 20 minutes, remove the sheet pan from the oven. With a metal spatula, scrape the potatoes from the pan, turn them over, and scoot them to one side. Thoroughly drain the pesto from the marinated chicken (you don't want excess oil on your pan but you can leave some pesto slathered on top of the chicken). Add the chicken to the other side of the sheet pan, next to the potatoes. Return the pan to the oven and cook for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes, scoot the chicken to the center of the pan and add the asparagus on the other side. Cook for an additional 10 to 15 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature 165°F and the asparagus and potatoes are tender. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
It's important that the ingredients on the pan are consistently sized. Chop your asparagus and potatoes into equal, bite-sized pieces, and try to use chicken breasts that are close in size to one another.
The cooking times may require slight tweaking depending on the overall size of your ingredients. If necessary, you can always cook each phase of ingredients for longer or shorter than dictated in the recipe. For example, you could add extra-large chicken breasts to the pan after the potatoes have been cooking for just 15 minutes (instead of 20), which will give the chicken an extra 5 minutes of cooking time.
Similarly, if some of the ingredients are done at the end of the cooking time but others need a few extra minutes -- for example, the chicken and the asparagus are done but the potatoes aren't quite tender -- remove the fully cooked ingredients to a plate and pop the sheet pan of potatoes back in the oven for a few more minutes of roasting (you can also crank up the heat to speed things up, but watch closely to avoid burning).
Cook chicken to a safe internal temperature (165°F), but be careful not to overcook them lest they dry out.
If you'd like to try this recipe using different veggies (such as carrots and Brussels sprouts), simply switch the order in which you add the ingredients to the pan and/or adjust the cooking time for each vegetable accordingly.
Optional: Once the sheet pan dinner is done, sprinkle the veggies with freshly grated Parmesan and return to the oven for another minute or two until melted.