This easy meal uses just one baking sheet. The chicken comes out with delicious crispy skin, which pairs well with crunchy, peppery watercress and crisp, salty bacon. The roasted sweet potatoes add a bit of sweetness to round out the plate. From start to finish, the dinner takes just 30 minutes. And the best part is that 20 minutes of that time are hands-off. For easy cleanup, line your baking sheet with foil. Look for chicken leg quarters in the refrigerator section of your supermarket, next to the rest of the poultry (we prefer 8-oz. free-range chicken quarters). Pair with a light red wine like Gamay.
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken leg quarters (about 2 lb.)
2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-in. wedges
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
¾ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 slices bacon
3 cups baby watercress
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange the chicken and sweet potatoes side by side in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Season with the sage, salt, and pepper and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, tossing to coat. Lay the bacon on top of the sweet potatoes.
Roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of a thigh registers 165°F, 20 to 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss together the watercress, lemon juice, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the chicken with the sweet potatoes and salad, with the bacon crumbled over the top.