Cranberry Chicken Bake

This is a recipe from my mother that I enjoyed as a kid, so I was hoping my kids would like it, too. The copious amount of ketchup made me optimistic they'd fall in love, but the mere presence of onions and the tartnesss of the cranberries were potential dealbreakers. *J* ate most of his bowl but declared himself "none" (done) before his plate was clear. He didn't eat his green beans with mountains of powdered cheese, either, so I guess he just wasn't feeling food in general. *N* had three full servings, so *J* will face it again and we'll see if tonight was a fluke.

I served this over brown rice this time, but I've also done it with garlic mashed potatoes.
 

Ingredients

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt and pepper

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ - 1 cup chopped onion [to taste]

1 Tablespoon olive oil, divided

1 cup ketchup

1 ½ cups fresh cranberries [can use frozen or craisins]

½ teaspoon freshly grated orange peel or 1 teaspoon orange juice [optional]

Directions

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Grease 9x13" baking dish.

1) Sprinkle both sides of each breast with salt and pepper (optional: cut each breast in half to speed up cooking time).

2) In small amount of olive oil, sautee chicken in pan on medium-high heat in until slightly browned.  Remove from pan and put in baking dish.

3) Add remaining olive oil to pan.  Sautee onion until crisp tender.

4) Add ketchup, brown sugar, and orange to onion.  Heat, stirring often, until sugar is dissolved.  Stir in cranberries until coated.

5) Pour sauce over chicken.  Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and cranberries begin to burst.

Notes: None.

Kid Participation: None...sorry, kiddos.