Chicken Primavera with Oven Roasted Potatoes

This is one of my favorite recipes and every time I make it, I wonder why we don't have it more often.

It's supposed to be made with pork chops.  That's what the recipe calls for and that's what I've always used.  But in sticking with this week's goal of using what we have, I had to substitute chicken when I discovered we didn't have chops.

I would have used boneless, skinless thighs, but I didn't have those either, so I cut the skin off of some bone-in thighs.  Now I don't know which I like better, the chicken or the pork.  They're both delicious.

I've also always used store-bought apple butter.  I didn't have any, so I made pear butter using this recipe.  It turned out really good, but I'd cut the sugar at least in half next time.  I didn't can mine - just stuck it in jars - one for the fridge, one for the freezer, and one for the neighbor.  Also, mine took more like two hours to thicken up, rather than the one hour suggested.

Here's the recipe (I believe originally Better Homes), with changes I've made:

Pork Chops Primavera

4 slices peppered bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (I used regular)
12 oz. trimmed fresh green beans (I had more like a pound)
1 Tbsp soy sauce
4 pork chops, 1/2-inch thick (I subbed 4 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs)
1/2 C apple butter (I used homemade pear butter)
1/2 C water
1 C cherry or grape tomatoes

In a 12-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium-high heat until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels.

Mmmm, bacon.

Reserve 1 tablespoon bacon grease in pan.

Brush chops or chicken with soy sauce.

In skillet, brown on both sides.

Add apple butter and water; reduce heat.

Simmer, covered, for five minutes.

(If using bone-in chicken, let them cook closer to 8 minutes or so.)

Add green beans and cook another 5 minutes, covered.

Add tomatoes, cover, and cook another 2 or 3 minutes.

Sprinkle the cooked bacon on top and dish up.

For the potatoes, I chopped and boiled them for 15 minutes.

Then I drained them and spread them out on a foil lined pan.

Seasoned them with salt, pepper and garlic powder, and threw them in a screamin' hot oven to brown them up.

Here's dinner on my plate:

Really, really delicious.

And just for kicks, here's my nightly little kitchen helper:

Nothin' quite like whippin' up a meal one-handed for the resume.