Claire Wright
Serves: 4
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Ingredients:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp honey
2 garlic cloves, minced (optional)
Pinch dried sage or a few leaves fresh sage, roughly chopped (optional)
4 small chicken breasts (or large ones sliced in half lengthways)
½ butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes (or the smallest bitesize pieces you can get)
2 leeks, sliced or 2-3 large handfuls prepped green beans
1 tbsp olive oil (plus an extra tbsp for the sauce)
Salt & pepper, to taste
More:
A simple one-pan traybake with honey mustard chicken and roasted squash. Follow along in the video or use the recipe below for step-by-step instructions.
Method:
Preheat your oven to 225C/gas 7. In a small bowl, whisk together the mustard and honey with 1 tbsp olive oil (and garlic and sage, if using).
Brush the chicken breasts with the honey-mustard mixture and a little salt & pepper, if you like. Lay in the middle of a baking tray (greased or lined with foil).
Toss cubes of peeled butternut squash and sliced leeks with olive oil, salt, and pepper, then arrange in a single layer around the chicken breasts.
Bake for 15-18 mins, then check on the progress, stirring the veg to cook more evenly and making sure the chicken is nearly cooked through. Return to the oven for 5-10 mins, until chicken is cooked through and veg is softened and lightly caramelised.
Engaging Kids
Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.
Kids in the kitchen
Kids will love tossing the squash and leeks with oil, salt & pepper. Keen for another task? They could mix together the sauce and brush it over the chicken (make sure to wash hands thoroughly after handling the raw meat!).
Activities
Got a kid who loves science? Try dropping one of the seeds from the squash into a glass of fizzy water, and watch it rise up and sink down again and again until the bubbles run out – the carbon dioxide bubbles bring the seed up to the top! You can find more at-home science fun with veg with our videos from Stefan Gates’ here.
Sensory
Explore what a whole and halved squash look and feel like. What can you see? Encourage your child to use their imagination and descriptive language. Try feeling the difference between the inside and outside of the squash with your hands, and how does it make your hands feel after touching the inside? Try touching the seeds and seeing what they remind you of.
Watch our video from Ruth Platt for a visual guide to exploring butternut squash with your senses here. Find more sensory ideas, tips and videos here. If you get stuck and need a little help with describing words, we have a selection for you here, too!
Serving
Next time you make this meal and want to give your child an extra opportunity to get involved and engaged before eating, why not ask them to create an orange coloured centrepiece for the table? Can they find all orange items that make for an attractive display to match the squash?
Find the best ways of involving your own child and their skills and interests on our Roles for Kids page.
Claire Wright
Claire has been working with children, food and communications for over 15 years, and is our Editor at Veg Power, helping translate expert advice into small, practical steps for busy families, and creating recipes that are actually simple.
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