Balsamic Chicken & Outdoor Party Tips

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Read on to learn about my favorite balsamic chicken recipe. It tastes amazing with roasted veggies. And while you are here, I’ll also share some helpful outdoor party tips.

My party planning is made even better with a great wine pairing. For dinner for my outdoor party, I made balsamic chicken with roasted veggies and JaM Cabernet. The wine has rich, bold and luscious. The grapes are harvested at perfect ripeness and made in the tradition of great Californian winemaking. This luscious, easy-drinking Cab doesn’t need to wait for a gourmet meal… it’s right at home in the sunshine, at sunset, or with a Balsamic Chicken and Roasted Veggies—it’s totally our kinda JaM!

My Favorite California Wines

JaM Cellars makes three easy-to-love, everyday California wines Butter Chardonnay, JaM Cabernet and Toast Sparkling. You can purchase JaM Cellars wine at leading grocery stores- enter your zip code to identify local stores at JaMCellars.com/WineFinder

Outdoor Party Tips

There is nothing quite like the joy of an outdoor party. When the weather is cooperating, you have the ambience of the sun and the breeze.

Want to learn how to create a party your friends will rave about? Here are some of my tried-and-true ideas that will elevate your party from “meh” to “amazing!”

1.) Set the Dress Code

Wait…a dress code? Really? Yes!

When inviting friends, let them know what the attire will be. Telling them in advance will give them time to prepare for any activities you might have scheduled.

Here are some typical summer outdoor party attire questions you will want to answer ahead of time:

• Should I bring a swimsuit?
• Will a summer dress and flip flops be ok?
• Will there be a theme for the party? (Black and white?)

2.) Plan Enough Seats

Make sure to have enough seats for everyone. If you aren’t receiving RSVPs reliably, go ahead and plan enough seats just in case everyone you invited comes.

What do you do if you don’t have enough outdoor furniture and chairs for everyone? You can always lay out blankets for a picnic vibe.

Another idea is to rent some chairs and tables. Call the local furniture rental store ahead of time just in case they run out of inventory.

3.) Remove Pesky Mosquitoes

One guest that is definitely not welcome at your party are those nasty mosquitoes! How do you have an outdoor party without guests getting eaten up?

Fight mosquitoes with these ideas:

• Remove all standing water in the yard
• Offer bug spray wipes to the guests
• Set up fans where your guests will be sitting

Do fans really work to keep bugs away? Yes, they do! Mosquitoes are surprisingly weak flyers, so fans will keep them away.

4.) Prepare the Mood with Music

My next tip is to set the mood with some music. But how do you play music outside?

Set up wireless mobile speakers throughout the outdoor seating area. Remember, you want the conversation to be the focus, not the music. So keep the volume at a relatively low setting.

What is the best music for outdoor parties? It all depends on you and your friends. Try to play something everyone will enjoy. If it is a personal event with really close friends and family, create a playlist that reminds you of each of your party guests.

Another idea is to find a popular playlist on Spotify or use Pandora to play a radio based on a favorite musician.

5.) Add Wine Pairing

If you and your guest enjoy a nice drink with your meal, then don’t forget to add some amazing wine pairings.

Remember, the most important thing is to drink responsibly.

How do you know which wines pair with your meal? Use these handy little tricks to easily pair wine with food.

• Make sure the wine tastes amazing on its own. Don’t serve your guests something that needs to be covered up with the food.
• Find flavor similarities. Serve an earthy wine with things like root vegetables and mushrooms. Or bring out sweeter wines with your meats that have a sweet sauce.
• Match the color of wine to the meat. Red wines with red meat and white wines with pork and chicken.
• Ask the experts. I found a really helpful chart from Food Folly that outlines which wines pair best with certain foods.

6.) Serve Finger Foods If There Aren’t Enough Tables

My final outdoor party tip is to consider where people will be eating the food. If you don’t have enough chairs and tables for everyone, consider serving finger foods.

If you want to serve something exquisite for your guests – like my balsamic chicken – then either only invite as many people as you can fit around a table or find more tables.

How do you plan a party’s menu?

Planning a party menu can be a really tough thing. How do you please everyone in the group?

First, ask for any special dietary needs. Make a list of any allergies or aversions. Then, find a recipe that fits everyone’s needs.

Chicken and veggies are usually a crowd pleaser. If you have some vegetarians or vegans coming to the party, you can always make them some veggies in another skillet with the same sauce and seasonings. And consider a some vegan rolls and a vegan dessert to have something everyone will love.

My Favorite Balsamic Chicken Recipe

My balsamic chicken is a crowd-pleaser! These seasonings all taste scrumptious together. It is so colorful and nutritious.

Even better? It can be made keto-friendly. Yup! All you have to do is omit the sugar. I personally think the small amount of sugar I added cuts the acidity of the vinegar. But it tastes just as amazing without it.

Balsamic Chicken & Roasted Veggies

Ingredients

This is what you will need before you make the dish.

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 2 tsp salt
• fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
• olive oil cooking spray
• 1 lb asparagus, ends trimmed, cut in half
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1 yellow bell pepper
• 2 small yellow onions, chopped in large chunks
• 1 cup carrots
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh rosemary
• 1 tbsp oregano

Instructions

Here is how you make this dish. It’s so simple that you’ll be making it again! Scroll on down for a printable recipe card.

  1.) Prepare the Oven and Chicken

Preheat oven to 375°F. Cut the fat off the chicken and season chicken with salt and pepper.

2.) Combine and Mix Everything

Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Using your hands mix everything together.

3.) Put Everything on a Baking Sheet

Arrange chicken and veggies onto the baking sheets spread out in a single layer.  

You can also use the grill pan to cook the chicken instead.

  4.) Bake it All

Bake for about 35 minutes.   It tastes amazing fresh out of the oven. Oh that aroma….nothing like it!

That’s it! I told it you was simple. Now here’s a printable recipe card. Don’t forget to pin this post so you can come back and make this again. You are going to want to!

 

 

 

More Chicken Recipes

Chicken is one of my favorite things to make for lunch or dinner. Here are some more of my most popular chicken recipes.

• Coconut Chicken Tenders Recipe
• Chicken Kabobs with Homemade Tzatziki Sauce Recipe
• Easy Chicken Francese Recipe

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