secret recipe club: hard cider baked chicken & mushrooms

the only good part of this time of the year is the food. i am a seasonal eater and the weather here has made the switch from warm and summery, to distinctly fall - more cold than warm, drizzly, and dark - meaning it's finally time for soups, dinners cooked all day in the slow cooker, and meats slow roasted in the oven. my favorite.

this is the quintessential fall meal. chicken is slow roasted in hard apple cider with mushrooms and served over crusty bread, mashed potatoes, or something equally as delicious to sop up all the wonderful gravy.

after the last few months of super sweet selections for the secret recipe club, i was decidedly savory this month. my top three choices from leigh at chit chat chomp were mushroom risotto with bacon & egg (another perfect fall dinner), roasted soy chicken with noodle salad, and the winner, this chicken and mushroom casserole with cider. i can't wait for an excuse to make the other two.

and while leigh and i live on opposite sides of the world, i can't help but mention the similarity in the evolution of our cooking styles. leigh also started her blog in 2009 and gravitated toward complicated recipes. over the last five years, her cooking style has also changed, focusing on freshness and simplicity. i couldn't agree more!

for more information on the secret recipe club, including the list of participating bloggers, featured recipes from members, and instructions on how to join, visit the secret recipe club website!

check out my previous secret recipe club posts: mini cinnamon roll cakes, double chocolate zucchini muffins with chocolate butter, butterscotch M&M oatmeal cookies, 30 minute baked tortellini, snickerdoodle bars & slow cooker chicken fajitas, meyer lemon iced raspberry yogurt cake & slow cooker chicken cacciatore, almond strawberry jam thumbprints, almond butter cookies, enfrijoladas, chocolate snack cake, bacon topped maple french toast cupcakes, cherry sorbet, slow cooker beans & mushrooms, mojito chicken tacos, maple glazed whole wheat spiced apple pizza, pig out cookies, pasta with blistered tomatoes & arugula and iced grapefruit cookies, mushroom barley soup, scalloped ham and potato bake & andes mint cake, chicken souvlaki with tzatziki, asian pork chops, lemon lime meltaways, blueberry peach crisp, minted lemon ice, white chocolate macadamia nut blondies, raspberry cream filled eclairs, jam swirled cheesecake, whole wheat grapefruit cake, chewy no bake granola bars & carrot cinnamon waffles, cannoli, gingerbread muffins, double chocolate peanut butter chip oatmeal cookies, butterscotch peach cake, whole wheat honey pancakes, minted pineapple lime agua fresca, breakfast tacos, simple almond sandwich cookies, & roasted banana rum cake.

hard cider baked chicken & mushrooms
adapted from chit chat chomp
15min prep, 1hr cook, 15min finish; serves 8

one whole small chicken, broken down into breasts, thighs, and drumsticks
2-3 tablespoons all purpose flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
about 1 pound mushrooms, sliced
12 ounces (or 1 1/2 cups) hard cider
1 bay leaf
1 sprig fresh thyme or a big pinch of dried thyme
5 tablespoons heavy cream
about 1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1. preheat your oven to 300F. 
2. coat the bottom of a large, oven proof dutch oven with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. dust the chicken pieces with the flour and shake off the excess. cook the chicken about five minutes on each side until brown. transfer the chicken to a plate and return the pan to the stove.
3. add the butter and when melted, add the mushrooms. cook, stirring frequently until browned, about five minutes.
4. add the hard cider and deglaze the pan. add the bay leaf and thyme. 
5. tuck the chicken into the mixture. cover the pan and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 1 hour.
6. remove the chicken and discard the bay leaf and fresh thyme (if using). place the pan over high heat, whisk in the cream and mustard, and bring to a simmer. simmer gently for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.
7. add the chicken back to the pan and coat with the sauce. serve over mashed potatoes, rice, crusty bread, or something else to sop up the delicious sauce. 

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