Rosemary-Honey Chicken with Smashed Cauliflower (Paleo, GAPS, AIP)

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Rosemary-Honey Chicken with Smashed Cauliflower is a delicious comfort food dinner made with a lovely rosemary simple syrup.

It’s a family favorite.

Smashed Cauliflower

My husband says this is the best cauliflower he’s ever had.

We all really like Smashed Cauliflower better than mashed cauliflower.

Mashed cauli is a fun Paleo, AIP or GAPS alternative to mashed potatoes, a boon for many of us.

But smashed cauli is waaay yummier, in our estimation.

You get a better texture, and a better flavor; it’s just better. I hope you make this and agree.

My cauli mash is made with the pan juices of the baked chicken, soo yummy!!!

The Rosemary-Honey Chicken

The baked chicken – well, it’s made with a super easy summer rosemary-honey simple syrup!

There’s almost no prep involved with this recipe; but infused honey water (although it sounds fancy it’s almost no work) makes the recipe taste complex, which the flavors actually are.

Dijon mustard is also added- oh I love! But can be left out for the AIP and GAPS version and will still have your family saying what a yummy dinner you’ve made. (What a good feeling!)

Serve the moist chicken atop the smashed cauliflower, and spoon pan juices over all. Add a bit of fresh rosemary too; and you have such a pretty feast.

Let me know how you like it!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Rosemary-Honey Chicken with Smashed Cauliflower

Rosemary-Honey Chicken with Smashed Cauliflower is a delicious comfort food dinner made with a lovely rosemary simple syrup.

Prep Time30 mins

Total Time1 hr 30 mins

Course: DInner

Cuisine: American

Keyword: aip, cauliflower, chicken, gaps diet, paleo, rosemary

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 717kcal

Author: Megan

Cost: $12

Equipment

• saucepan
• oven

Ingredients

Rosemary-Honey Chicken

• 3.5 to 4 lbs. chicken thighs skinless, boneless (OR with skin and bone, if preferred)
• ⅓ cup water
• ⅓ cup honey
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard optional (omit for AIP and GAPS)
• 2 large sprigs fresh rosemary
• salt and pepper

Smashed Cauliflower

• 1 head cauliflower
• 1/2-¾ cup pan drippings from baked chicken
• ½ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Choose a large casserole dish with a lid.
• Bring water to boil in a small saucepan. Turn off heat. Add honey, stirring to dissolve. Add rosemary and cover to steep for two hours. Remove any twiggy rosemary branches. Stir in optional Dijon mustard, until fully incorporated.
• Place chicken in large casserole dish. Spoon rosemary syrup over chicken. Drizzle olive oil over chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and place in preheated oven for 1 hour, until juices run clear when poked deeply with a knife. Remove chicken and turn oven heat down to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Meanwhile, after first placing chicken in the oven, wash cauliflower and remove outer green leaves. Place whole cauliflower (uncut) into a steamer basket over simmering water. Allow cauliflower to simmer or steam until very fork-tender, about 40 minutes. Carefully transfer it to an oven-proof bowl to cool slightly.
• Break cauliflower into small chunks with a spoon. Transfer ⅓ to ½ of the cauliflower to a blender. When the chicken is done cooking, use the gravy-like pan juices. Measure out about ⅓ to ½ the total pan juices, enough to puree the cauliflower to a creamy "baby food" consistency. Also add the ½ teaspoon sea salt to the blender. Keep the chicken dish uncovered* and place it back in the oven while you prepare the cauliflower. Puree cauliflower till smooth, adding more pan juices as needed.
• Stir puree back into bowl of small cauliflower chunks. Place this bowl into the warm 325° oven. Allow both chicken and cauliflower to get toasty hot and a wink toasty, 10 minutes more in the oven. Serve with extra pan juices spooned over the top of both.

Notes

*For GAPS Introduction Diet, keep the chicken covered while it heats.

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 45g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 259mg | Sodium: 448mg | Potassium: 846mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 223IU | Vitamin C: 46mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg