Pineapple Jerk Chicken Recipe

I am so excited that fall is only a few weeks away.  The summer has been extremely hot and I am so done with hamburgers, hotdogs, pasta salads and all those other summer foods.  I'm ready for some warm, homemade comfort food like meatloaf, chili and chicken & biscuit casseroles.   I have been waiting for a nice day when I could go into the kitchen to cook and I finally got my wish this week and decided to try a new recipe. It's not a dish I would categorize as "comfort food" but it was better than eating a burger or hotdog.  Let's call it an "in-between seasonal dish." Plus it was easy to make and tasted really good too.

Grilled Pineapple Jerk Chicken Thighs (http:/erecipecards.blogspot.com)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup jerk chicken spice mix
1 cup pineapple chunks w/juice
8 chicken thighs
salt and pepper

Because I live in an apartment (grills are not allowed), I baked mine's in the oven.  Also in the recipe they used chicken thighs with the skin on, but I used boneless/skinless thighs.

For the jerk spice I used my favorite:

It comes in mild or hot and you can find it in any grocery store.

First I placed the chicken thighs in a 9x13 baking dish. I seasoned the chicken with a little salt and pepper, then added the jerk seasoning/pineapple mixture.  I let the thighs cook for about 25 minutes, covered, at 350 degrees making sure the meat didn't dry out.  Then I uncovered the dish and broiled the chicken for 2-3 minutes so that it would get a nice browning on top.  They didn't brown as much as I wanted however.  Probably because they were skinless.  And that's it really. I wish I had taken a picture of the chicken when it first came out of the oven. Must remember that for my next dish.

To compliment the chicken I made coconut rice, green beans, plantains and macaroni and cheese. Cabbage is a favorite side with Caribbean dishes like jerk or curry chicken but I have not mastered making that yet. I'm always told it's simple. One day I'll give it a try.  The macaroni and cheese was a last added side. I had made a big pan to take to our office cookout and decided to make a small pan for home.

I found this recipe on Pinterest but you can get the full recipe here.  Give it a try!