Gluten Free Cranberry Orange Chicken

I most often serve this chicken with plain white rice to sop up the sauce and any green vegetable. To make a special holiday dinner serve gluten free cornbread-chorizo stuffing on the side with sweet and white scalloped potatoes. This make-ahead frozen pumpkin mousse would be a satisfying end to a delicious meal that didn't involve turkey.

Ingredients

Four ingredient recipes like this are a lifesaver for busy people and stocking your pantry with the right ingredients is the secret.

• Bone-in chicken thighs - Using bone-in chicken takes longer to cook and that is what creates the delicious sticky sweet sauce you want.

• Canned whole cranberry sauce - It's easy to get a few cans into your pantry to have on hand for fall recipes like this.

• Honey - The long cooking time and the honey is what creates a sticky sauce.

• Frozen orange juice concentrate - I keep a can of orange juice concentrate in the freezer for all my recipes that call for orange juice. (See below for my list!)

• Gluten free soy sauce - There are many gluten free brands of soy sauce available. Try a few different ones and if you're turned off by the list of ingredients then you're ready to have a soy sauce vs tamari tasting night and find something better.

See recipe card for exact amounts.

Instructions

Time saver & Dish saver - Some cooks take pride in using the least amount of dishes when they cook and I can relate to that. Whenever I can I measure ingredients right into my 4-cup pyrex measuring cup and heat the mixture in the microwave. I know the recipe says to simmer the sauce for 5 minutes but I sometimes skip that instruction and I'm happy with the results.

Substitutions

Bone-in Turkey Legs - Substitute turkey legs for the chicken and cook longer until the meat measures 175°F with a digital thermometer.

Boneless chicken thighs or turkey breast - Substitute the bone-in chicken with either boneless chicken or a boneless turkey breast. Both should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F measured with a meat thermometer. To ensure you have a sticky sauce you should simmer it for 10 minutes before pouring it over the meat and baking.

Orange juice concentrate - Substitute with the zest and finely chopped peel of two fresh oranges.

Storage

Saucy dishes like this freeze well and last in the freezer for 2-3 months. Smart cooks double recipes like this and freeze portions in the sizes they know they'll want.