When the first honeynut squash appear at farm stands, I’ll use any excuse to get them into a meal. And it seems they arrive right about the time that we all start pulling out our sheet pans and making chicken sheet pan dinners again. Turns out that honeynuts, cut in half, and chicken thighs roast to perfection in the same amount of time, so they are great sheet pan partners. (I roast for 40 to 45 minutes at 425°F.)

In this recipe, I add a few small tomatoes (large grape tomatoes would work, too), cut in half, to the pan. After cooking, I spoon some sautéed fresh corn (while it’s still around) onto the honeynut and drizzle the squash and chicken with hot honey. Delicious. You can make your own hot honey or buy your favorite brand. (We like Mike’s Hot Honey Original.) Serve everything on fresh farmstand greens if you like.

Lately I have been using my nonstick sheet pan for roasting, but I still arrange a layer of parchment paper under the squash just to make sure I don’t lose any of that precious flesh. If you want the very easiest clean up, cover the sheet pan (all the way up over rims) in foil first and then lay down a sheet of parchment paper.

Serves 2

• Extra-virgin olive oil (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (more for garnish if you like)
• 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 3/4 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Olive or vegetable oil
• 2 honeynut squash, cut in half, seeds removed
• 8 small sandwich tomatoes or 10 to 12 large grape tomatoes, cut in half
• Kernels from one ear fresh corn (optional)
• Butter for sautéing corn and for squash
• 2 to 3 ounces hot honey
• 1 tablespoon chopped or sliced fresh chives or parsley for garnish (optional)

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. (Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer. They are often off in one direction or another by 25 degrees.)

2. Rub a heavy-duty rimmed sheet pan (13” x 18”) with about 2 teaspoons oil. Arrange a piece of parchment paper on one half of the sheet pan and rub with a little oil.

3. Combine the flour, 1 teaspoon of the smoked paprika, and 1 teaspoon of the thyme leaves in a mixing bowl.

4. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides and dredge each one thoroughly in the flour mixture, shaking off excess. Arrange the chicken thighs evenly spaced apart on the half of the sheet pan without the parchment.

5. Rub the squash halves with a little oil, season with salt, sprinkle with some of the remaining thyme, and arrange, cut-side-down on the parchment paper side of the sheet pan. Rub the tops of the squash with a little oil.

6. Roast the chicken and squash for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the chicken is crisp and cooked through (at least 165 degrees) and the squash are tender and lightly caramelized on the cut side.

7. Meanwhile, if including corn, saute the corn kernels in a little butter until softened. Season with salt and pepper. Melt another 1 tablespoon or so of butter to dress the squash. Warm the hot honey gently.

8. Turn the cooked squash cut-side-up and drizzle with melted butter. Arrange the squash, chicken pieces, and tomatoes on a serving platter or individual plates (with or without greens). Spoon the corn into and over the squash and drizzle the hot honey over the squash and chicken pieces. Garnish with any remaining thyme and chives or parsley if you like.

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