Chicken with Beans, Bacon & Cheddar

Whole, bone-in chicken legs stay tender and juicy during cooking. Fast enough for a weeknight meal, this warm and hearty one-pot dish pleases everyone.

 

Chicken with Beans, Bacon & Cheddar

 

1 Tbs. olive oil

4 skin-on whole chicken legs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

4 slices thick-cut bacon

1 small yellow onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans (15 oz./470 g. each) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 plum tomatoes, chopped

2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup (2 oz./60 g.) grated white Cheddar cheese

 

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

 

In a large, ovenproof frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken legs with salt and pepper. Add to the pan, skin side down, and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and cook until almost cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a plate.

 

Return the pan to medium-high heat, arrange the bacon slices in a single layer, and fry until crispy, about 7 minutes, turning once. Drain on paper towels, then break into big pieces.

 

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and saute over medium-high heat until soft, 5 minutes. Add the beans and tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes begin to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and bacon and season with salt and pepper.

 

Return the chicken to the pan, nestling the pieces in the bean mixture. Sprinkle with the Cheddar. Cook in the oven until the cheese browns and the chicken is opaque throughout, about 10 minutes. Spoon onto plates or serve directly from the pan. Serves 4.