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 about 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 (heat honey with chili flakes or chili crisp) or buy your favorite brand. (We like Mike’s Hot Honey Original.) You could also substitute balsamic glaze or apple cider syrup for the hot honey. Serve everything on fresh greens. For a variation, top the squash with diced (tart-firm) apples, lightly sautéed, instead of the corn.

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. Alpha-gal note: This recipe is alpha-gal friendly if you sauté the (optional) corn in oil, not butter, and you skip the additional butter on the cooked squash.

Serves 2

• Extra-virgin olive oil  
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons smoked paprika
• 2 to 3 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (more for garnish if you like), lightly chopped
• 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
• 10 to 12 large grape or very small plum tomatoes, cut in half
• Kernels from one ear fresh corn (optional)
• Oil or butter for sautéing corn and for squash (optional)
• 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. Cover a heavy-duty rimmed sheet pan (13” x 18”) with parchment paper. (For easiest clean-up, cover pan with foil first.) Rub the parchment with a little olive 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 one side of the sheet pan.

5. Rub the squash halves with a little oil, season with salt, sprinkle with 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon of the thyme, and arrange, cut-side-down on the other side of the sheet pan. Rub the tops of the squash with a little oil.

6. Toss the tomatoes in a small amount of oil and salt and arrange, cut side-up, around the chicken and squash.

6. Roast for 45 to 50 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 (or oil) until softened (or microwave with a small amount of water). Season with salt and pepper. If desired, melt a 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 (if using). Arrange the squash and chicken pieces on a serving platter or individual plates (with or without greens). Spoon the corn into and over the squash. Spoon the tomatoes over the squash and around the chicken. Drizzle the hot honey over all. Garnish with any remaining thyme or chopped chives or parsley.

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