This is one of my favorite meals, not only because it’s got a super quick and easy prep, but also because my mom used to make it ALL the time. I also happen to love garlic like you cannot belive– love love loooove garlic. It’s a simple, and healthy meal and I really hope you try it and love it!

Garlic chicken & Butternut Squash. yum. Whip up a salad to while you’re at it 🙂

what you need:

• a clay pot (trust me, it’s essential) ohhh i guess you could try this out in a pyrex
• chicken on the bone (breasts and thighs)
• salt
• whole garlic (peeled)
• Pam (or some other non-stick sorta thang)
• butternut squash
• oil
• salt
• pepper
• cinnamon
• cookie sheet
• ….and an oven.

Chicken: easy and quick preparation, but cook time can be up to 2 hours.

1. **very important** soak your clay pot for at least 15 minutes. just let it sit in water, or let water sit in it. Because it’s clay you want it to absorb the water so when the oven begins to get hot it doesn’t crack. I think that’s why, anyways 🙂
2. rinse your chicken and you can either take off or leave on the skin (I do both, it depends on my mood)
3. spray the bottom of your clay pot with some PAM, or non-stick something
4. place your chicken pieces in the clay pot and salt them generously
5. sprinkle about twice as many cloves of garlic as pieces of chicken (don’t worry you’ll add more)
6. Cover your chicken with the top of the clay pot and slip that baby in the oven
7. Turn the oven on 400*
8. Meanwhile let’s prep those butternut squash!
9. You can get already chopped, organic butternut squash at Trader Joe’s, or you can be brave and buy butternut squash whole.
10. Buy the chopped stuff  ‘cuz it’s easier and quicker. (If you don’t you’ll just have to cut the big squash in half, scoop out the innards, skin it and then cut it in cubes)
11. So let’s say you have your butternut squash cubes ready to go… Pop them in a pyrex and put a drop of water in there. Microwave the contents for about 3 minutes just to soften them up. Then place them on a cookie sheet and pour on some olive oil. swoosh them around on the tray so the oil covers most surfaces, and then sprinkle salt, pepper and some cinnamon. Pop that in the oven about 20 minutes before the chicken is ready to come out (the chicken looks cooked through but barely crispy)
12. Right about when you put the butternut squash in the oven, remove the top of the clay pot and let the chicken brown (for those last 10-20 minutes)… at this point, put a TON of garlic in there! The more the better.

viola!

The prep of this meal is sooo easy and quick. cook time does take a while, but the house will smell delish while all of that takes place.