Baked Chicken Thighs with Kale and Acorn Squash and Maille Old Style Mustard

Write an article about The one-pot Fall meal is a staple in many kitchens. And my Chicken Thighs with Kale and Acorn Squash with Maille Old Style Mustard is an easy, efficient, and hearty-the perfect recipe for cold weather! This recipe is excellent using seasonal ingredients because it requires less prep, minor cleanup, and you can make enough to feed your family or friends without preparing everything individually. This chicken dish is one of the best recipes for your fall and winter weeknight dinner that’ll make you feel like a winner.

The one-pot Fall meal is a staple in many kitchens. And my Chicken Thighs with Kale and Acorn Squash with Maille Old Style Mustard is easy, efficient, and hearty-the perfect recipe for cold weather! By using seasonal ingredients, this recipe is great because it requires less prep, less cleanup, and you can make enough to feed your family or friends without having to prepare everything individually. This healthy fall comfort dish packs terrific flavor, texture, and color, while the Maille Old Style adds a boost of extra flavor that ties this one-pot meal together. NO ordinary baked chicken recipe, this dish is one you will want to keep in your pocket when you want to wow your guests or for a quick fall and winter weeknight dinner that’ll make your family feel good.

Layers and Seasoning

The beauty of this dish is its layers and its generous seasoning. Starting from the bottom up, the squash is a hearty vegetable and brings both health and heft to the dish without making it too heavy. The second layer is kale. Squash and kale are BFFs, and when combined in a dish, they help one another shine. Their contrasting textures, once cooked, create balance.

The third layer is the skin-on chicken thighs. The key ingredient to any good baked chicken thigh dish is the thighs themselves. They are the secret weapon of this dish. Chicken Thighs have more fat than chicken breasts, which is crucial for keeping the meat moist. By using skin-on chicken thighs, you get double the flavor and moisture. The result is crispy, crunchy skin and tender and delicious chicken.

Last but not least is the fourth and final layer, the seasoning. Seasoning is king in this recipe. Although each vegetable layer is lightly seasoned with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, you must season the chicken vigorously. I use a combination of Maille Old Style and my house blend, salt, and pepper to coat the chicken thoroughly.

As this dish bakes, the chicken thighs produce a significant amount of liquid. This liquid drips down onto and through the kale and finally onto the squash. The seasoned liquid cooks and seasons the veggies. As the kale cooks, it creates a sort of barrier locking in the liquid down below, allowing the squash to steam in an intensely flavorful broth. This dish hits on all levels of texture and flavor.

Vital Cooking Tips:

This dish is easy, and if you follow the recipe, it will turn out perfectly if you remember the following Dos and Don’ts:

DO

• Use skin-on chicken thighs
• Use more kale than you think the chicken with sit high, but the kale will cook down
• Keep the skin on the acorn squash
• Place chicken close together and cover the kale

DON’T

• Use chicken breasts. They lack the fat and moisture to make the dish successful.
• Add additional liquid. Chicken thighs produce so much liquid when cooking you will be amazed by the amount of liquid you see in the pan.
• Under season your chicken (you will be disappointed)

The beauty of this dish is in its simplicity and flavor. The combination of seasonal veggies, moist yet crispy chicken thighs, and generous seasoning is sure to be a hit on any fall dinner table. The rich taste and texture of Maille Old Style Mustard give this dish an extra boost of flavor and complexity. Maille is also gluten-free, which is always a plus when serving guests with dietary restrictions who crave fall-inspired comfort food.

Whatever the occasion, you can quickly adapt this meal to feed large groups of family or friends in no time at all!

For other great recipes featuring Maille Mustard click the links below. 

• Crab and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms with Maille Dijon Originale
• Caribbean-Style Braised Chicken and Chickpeas with Maille Honey Dijon
• Maille Honey Dijon and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Mango Mint Salad
• Caprese Salad Wrap with Maille Old Style and Balsamic Dressing

Join The Maille Community!

If you want more delicious mustard-inspired recipes like this one, join the My Maille community on Facebook. My Maille community was launched in 2019 and is one of the most successful Food groups on Facebook, with more than 70,000 members! Joining the community is a fun way to discover new recipes, make new friends and celebrate Maille. In the group, we host live streams with our Maille Sommelier, Chef Brandon, giveaways, and super fun challenges and present many opportunities to win delicious Maille prizes! It’s fun, friendly, and full of Maille inspiration!