In many ways, a one-dish meal is both the ultimate challenge and the ultimate reward. Many promised “one-dish dinners” actually yield a full sink of soiled pots. Can a successful meal truly be created from so little dishwashing? Absolutely.

Not only is this dish delicious and easy, it’s stunning served directly from oven to table. Use whatever root vegetables you have on hand, and slice them thinly so they finish cooking at the same time as the chicken. It’s also super easy to scale up for a crowd or slim down for just one or two people. Bonus: Line the pan with a layer of aluminum foil and the only thing you’ll be cleaning up is your knife and cutting board.

PS: Cooking Channel’s got a great selection of one-pot recipes that you should definitely try out — right after you make this one.

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F. Grease a large baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange a single layer of the squash and potatoes in the bottom of the baking dish. Place the four pieces of chicken on top of the squash, then shingle the remaining squash and potatoes around the meat, making sure not to cover it. Drizzle the cream and olive oil over the vegetables and chicken, and nestle the thyme leaves in between them. Season the chicken and vegetables with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Bake until the vegetables are tender and chicken has cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Serve.

Patrick W. Decker’s life revolves around food. Always has, probably always will. As a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and past member of the culinary teams for Food Network stars Rachael Ray, Sandra Lee, Marc Forgione and Bobby Deen, he now works on digital production for FoodNetwork.com, CookingChannelTV.com and Food.com in NYC by day and develops recipes at his home in New York’s Hudson Valley by night. You can see what he’s up to by following him on Twitter & Instagram at @patrickwdecker or visiting his website at patrickwdecker.com.