Chicken Thighs Two Ways with Alexia

 I must have been the last person in the world to discover how absolutely delicious and weeknight-perfect chicken thighs are.  Sorry, everyone. I was behind the curve, but no more! I’ve fallen in love with chicken thighs so much, that today I’m sharing not one, but TWO easy, weeknight-friendly chicken thigh recipes, along with some suggestions for sides from Alexia to round out your meal, without weighing you down.

First, a little hot and spicy ( okay a LOT hot and spicy ), lightened up, Baked Nashville Hot Chicken. I cook dinner almost every night, but even when I keep the recipes easy, it can still be exhausting.  I always recommend to my friends that they pick ONE thing to put their effort into, and for me, that is almost always a main dish.

Here’s the thing though, you shouldn’t make some killer main dish, like oh, say, mind-blowingly good baked Nashville Hot Chicken, and then slop something random next to it.  Instead, look for a premium side dish that is on par with that main dish you made – something that is easy, but still uses the same high-quality  ingredients you use in your own kitchen.  That’s one of the reasons I love pairing my mains with Alexia – they use organic dairy, creative flavors, but are stupid easy to make. SOLD.

With my Baked Nashville Hot Chicken, I love pairing something nice and creamy to round out the heat, like Alexia’s all-Natural White Cheddar Riced Cauliflower with Black Pepper, along with a quick pickle made by tossing some ribbons of cucumber into boiling vinegar with salt, pepper, and garlic for just a few minutes before serving.

Of course, maybe eating something so hot it should come with a warning label isn’t really your style?  Or, maybe you’re looking for more than just a weeknight dinner?

Don’t worry, there’s a chicken thigh for that, too!

On the nights when I want to feel more “elegant” than “lightened up fancy picnic”, I reach for the prosciutto and sage.  These two simple ingredients add such a wonderful combination of salty and woodsy, herbal flavor to the chicken thighs, and you guessed it — I think they deserve something really special next to them.

Cue Alexia’s Butternut Squash Risotto.  Creamy, rich, but somehow low-carb, it takes practically zero effort ( and literally zero outside ingredients ) to cook.  In less than ten minutes of hands on time, you can make crispy prosciutto and sage chicken thighs with a fancy vegetable side dish that will taste like you slaved over it.

Sounds like dinner is done.