Fall is here and winter squash and pears are in full swing. Since we try to eat as many fruits and vegetables that are in season as we can, we have been getting a healthy dose of a couple of our fall favorites – bosc pears and delicata squash. Are you now trying to picture what this type of pear and squash look like?
Here are a couple of visuals to help, courtesy of Epicurious:
Did you figure out which was which?
Ok, let me help you out – bosc pears are #2 and delicata squash are #9. You can click on the pictures above to read two very informative articles explaining the characteristics of the different types of pears and squash from Epicurious.
Since we’ve been eating these a lot separately we had a brilliant idea – Why not combine them with some chicken, bacon, rosemary and a touch of cayenne pepper to make a one pan meal? That’s exactly what we did for this pear and squash chicken skillet and we have to say it turned out pretty amazing.
The sweet flavor of the pear and squash combined with the savory/salty bacon and chicken is a delectable combination. Not to mention the touch of cayenne pepper gives the dish a mild kick to wake up your taste buds.
All of that flavor in one pan and it’s ready in only 45 minutes! You have to try this one out, we guarantee you’ll love this unique and savory dish full of fresh fall flavors.
If you do try out this recipe, let us know what you think by leaving a comment below and adding a rating. Also, take a picture and tag it on Instagram #realsimplegood so we can check it out!
Pear and Squash Chicken Skillet
Ingredients
- 10 pieces bacon, diced
- 1 large delicata squash
- 2 bosc pears, cored and sliced into small wedges, (or sub other crispy pears)
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt + pepper
Instructions
- Start by heating a large cast iron pan or other oven safe skillet over medium heat. Dice bacon while the pan is heating.
- Once the pan is hot, add in the diced bacon to cook. Cook it for 6-7 minutes until it is just starting to get cooked around the edges and then remove it and place on a paper towel lined plate. It will cook the rest of the way in the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
- While the bacon is cooking, cut the pear into slices and place it in a bowl. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices. Add squash slices to the bowl with pears.
- Add in the avocado oil, rosemary, cayenne pepper and 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper to the bowl. Mix everything together to coat.
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Once the bacon is cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Pour off excess bacon grease if desired, but leave some in the pan to cook the chicken in.
- Place the chicken in the skillet to brown. Cook for five minutes and flip, cooking for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Add in the squash and pear mixture to the skillet around and over the chicken (it will be pretty full). Sprinkle the bacon on top.
- Carefully transfer the skillet to the oven.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, depending on the size of your chicken breasts, until the chicken is cooked completely through in the middle.
I tried this tonight. No stores has delicate squash so I tried substituting butternut squash. The squash didn’t quick cook all the way. Any tips? Is a butternut denser/thicker? I salvaged it by separating out everything else and tossing the squash back in for 8 more minutes. Loved the recipe though!
Dang! Yes, butternut squash does seem to be denser and take a bit longer to cook. You could try cooking the butternut squash a little first in the cast iron and then add in the chicken and brown it. Then, put it all in the oven to finish cooking. I suspect that would get you better results with the butternut squash. Thanks for trying our recipe! You’ll have to browse for other one-pan dishes on our site. I really love the bacon brussels and chicken one! Yum! 🙂
This dish was wonderful. The delicata squash, pear and bacon make a wonderful trio of flavors. We will be making this again soon.
Yes! We love this trio of flavors, too! It’s a great fall dish, and we’re glad you love it! Go ahead and put in on your meal planning rotation. We do!
Just tried this tonight for dinner, amazing!! The sweetness of the pear with the squash and salty bacon, so good. Very easy, thanks for the recipe!
Wonderful! So glad you liked it, Darcy!! Thanks for letting us know! Hope you have a great weekend!