Cheese and Tomato Chicken Thighs

We like dishes that not only require very little prep time, they also are good cold for lunches, and/or re-heat well for a second dinner. That’s a lot to ask, we know. But we found all that in a dish that has a flavor combination that seems universally beloved: chicken, tomato and cheese.

Ingredients:

8 chicken thighs (bone-in), about 4 pounds
7 ounces Cheese , cut lengthwise in 16 thin slices
1-2 plum tomatoes, cut lengthwise into 8 thin slices
8 parsley leaves
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a shallow baking sheet pan with cooking spray.
2. Working with one chicken thigh at a time, pull the skin back but not completely off.
3. Place two pieces of the cheese lengthwise on the meat and under the skin.
4. Top the cheese with a slice of tomato and place a parsley leaf flat on the center of the tomato.
5. Pull the skin back to cover the thigh, taking care to not dislodge the cheese, tomato and parsley.
6. Fold the excess skin under the chicken and place on the baking sheet pan.
7. Repeat with the remaining ingredients; season to taste with salt and pepper.
8. Roast 15 minutes; baste and roast another 10-15 minutes, until an instant read thermometer registers 170-175 degrees F.

Note: Chicken thighs vary greatly in size, which will affect cooking times. Be sure to use an instant read meat thermometer, inserted horizontally parallel to, but not touching, the bone and cook to 170-175 degrees F.