There are not one, but two one-pan chicken dinners in this book (see page 179, Big Bites: Time to Eat!), and this one is definitely company worthy. I love to serve this chicken and sweet potato bake with a Spanish romesco sauce; the recipe for the sauce is in this book as well. If you don’t want to be bothered, though, you can find the sauce in some specialty markets or simply leave it out. Perhaps use a drizzle of chili oil or even hot sauce.

Please do not let the idea of spatchcocking a chicken put you off. I offer clear instructions for how to do it easily, and it will be a technique you will use again and again to make delicious roasted chicken in half the time it takes to cook a whole chicken. You can also ask the butcher at the store to do it for you—no shame in that.

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

COOK TIME: 40 minutes

Big Bites: Time to Eat!: Nourishing Family Recipes That Cook in an Hour or Less Kat Ashmore

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3- to 3 ½-pound) whole chicken

• 3 teaspoons smoked paprika

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1 tablespoon plus

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

• 1 ¼ pounds sweet potatoes, cut into ½-inch-thick wedges

• ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 cup Romesco Sauce (see below; optional), warmed for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Place the chicken on a cutting board, breast-side down. With kitchen shears, cut along both sides of the backbone to remove it. (I like to freeze the bone for stock later.) Flip the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten the chicken so it lies evenly. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels.

2. In a small bowl, combine 2 teaspoons of the smoked paprika, the garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon of the oregano, 1 tablespoon of the salt, and the pepper. Season the chicken generously with the spice mixture, getting it all around and under the skin a bit. Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to cook.

3. Preheat the oven to 450°F.

4. In a large bowl, combine the sweet potatoes with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano, remaining 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, the remaining 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Spread the potatoes evenly in a sheet pan. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes, then drizzle with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and rub to coat well.

5. Roast the chicken for about 20 minutes, then toss the potatoes in the pan and return the sheet pan to the oven for another 20 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer registers at least 160°F at the thickest part of the breast and leg, or the juices run clear when pierced with a knife.

6. Let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Then, carve the chicken into serving pieces and serve along with the potatoes and Romesco Sauce, if desired. It’s all good.

Romesco Sauce

MAKES 2 CUPS

TIME: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons toasted slivered almonds

• 1 small slice sourdough bread, roughly torn (a bit stale is best)

• 1 (12-ounce) jar roasted red bell peppers, drained

• 2 teaspoons tomato paste

• ½ cup canned fire-roasted tomatoes

• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes

• ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

DIRECTIONS

1. In a blender, combine the almonds, bread pieces, roasted peppers, tomato paste, canned tomatoes, vinegar, red pepper flakes, and salt. Pulse a few times to break up large chunks, then blend for 30 seconds until very smooth, adding the olive oil in a slow, steady stream.

2. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

3 WAYS TO USE IT

• Serve with Spanish Chicken and Sweet Potato Roast—one of my favorite ways; it’s really lovely with any kind of roasted chicken.

• Dip fresh veggies into it.

• Add it to a pan and cook eggs in it, then serve with crusty bread for dipping.

Excerpted from BIG BITES: TIME TO EAT! By Kat Ashmore. Copyright © 2026 by Kat Ashmore. Used by permission of Rodale Books, an imprint of Random House, a division of Penguin Random House LLC, New York. All Right reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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