Roasted Chicken, Sausage, and Potatoes

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 lbs. mild Italian sausages
• 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 3 bell peppers
• 1 sliced red onion
• 1 sliced yellow onion
• 3 lbs. red potatoes, quartered
• 1 tbsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp Italian herb blend (rosemary, thyme, oregano, marjoram, basil, parsley, lavender)
• 1/2 tsp MSG
• Additional olive oil, as needed

Directions

1. Warm some oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages, and cook until lightly browned but still raw in the middle, about 3 minutes per side.  After the first flip, use a sharp knife to poke each sausage a few times, helping the grease to run out.
2. Remove from the heat and cut into 2" pieces.  Set the sausage aside in a bowl, along with the oil and fats from the cooking.
3. For each chicken thigh, use a knife to make a two deep slashes through the skin and meat down to the bone.  This will help the flavors get deeper into the chicken.
4. Cut the bell peppers into large chunks.  Place into a large mixing bowl with the onions and potatoes.  Add the chicken thighs and sausage (with all the drippings).  Add 3 tsp salt, black pepper, herbs, and MSG.  Add additional olive oil to make sure there's enough to coat everything.
5. Toss everything together.  Your hands work the best for this.
6. Transfer to a large roasting pan.  Arrange so that the chicken is on the top, with the skin-side up and exposed.  The potatoes should also be near the top and exposed.  The peppers, onions, and sausage don't matter where they end up.
7. Drizzle with extra olive oil and salt.
8. Bake at 450°F for one hour.  Check that the chicken and potatoes are cooked.  Let rest for a few minutes, and then serve hot using the liquids as a sauce.
• If the chicken is done but the potatoes aren't, remove the chicken and move to a covered pan to rest while the rest of the food roasts a bit longer.

Adapted from Food Wishes.