Weeknight Meal: Curried pineapple chicken

By Jane

Make Life Easy

I’ve been experimenting a lot with oven bags lately. I’m loving them. Meat cooks beautifully in them, and because your food is all contained in the one bag, it means less clean-up! That’s possibly the bit I like best.

This meal is based on an Alison Holst recipe that she cooks in the microwave.

Curried pineapple chicken

This meal is so easy to prepare and cook. And it’s delicious. I had friends over for a taste test and the verdict was: “It’s beautiful.”

Preparation time: 8 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Serves 4

440g (15 oz) can pineapple slices
1 packet cream of chicken soup mix
2 teaspoons mild curry powder
2 teaspoons soy sauce
8 chicken drumsticks
Large oven bag
Rice (enough for 4 people)
Fresh or frozen beans (enough for 4 people)

1. Preheat oven to 180deg C (350deg F).

2. Drain the pineapple juice into a measuring jug and add enough water to make up 1 ¼ cups liquid. Add the soup mix, curry powder and soy sauce and mix well until combined.

3. Cut pineapple slices into quarters. Place liquid, pineapple slices and chicken in oven bag and secure with tie. Leave a tiny opening to allow steam to escape. Gently turn bag a couple of times to coat chicken.

4. Place bag on baking tray so all the chicken pieces lie flat. Bake in oven for 40 minutes, turning the bag over halfway through cooking.

5. Meanwhile, cook rice according to packet instructions and steam beans.

6. Serve rice and beans with chicken.