Classic Baked Garlic Chicken Recipe (2024)

Looking back on my childhood, Christmas day is when some of my favorite memories happened.

Having a big family meant that the opening of gifts went on and on, which is exactly how we wanted it- we didn’t want the magic to end!

Our parents were so good to make sure that we had a nice Christmas. My mom also made sure that we all had about the same amount of gifts under the tree. On Christmas morning, we would each pick a present under the tree and starting with the youngest sister, we would all watch her unwrap her gift. When she finished, we would move onto the next oldest sister and watch her open her gift, then to the next oldest sister, and continue until each sister and our parents had unwrapped their gift. It was so fun to see what each person received, especially if they were unwrapping the gift that you had given them. I love that my parents taught us the importance of giving and helped us realize the happiness that comes from giving and sharing with others.

After all the presents were unwrapped, my mom would head into the kitchen to begin preparing our Christmas feast. All the wonderful smells that came out of the kitchen would drift through the house, making you so excited for what was to come! When dinner was done, we would all sit down to an amazing meal. My mom’s cooking never disappointed!

Fast forward to today-

Christmas morning is crazy at my house.

Wrapping paper is flying, we lounge in our PJ’s all day, it’s loud and crazy.

My husband and I are exhausted after staying up all night trying to assemble crazy toys.

And I love every second of it!

One thing that I like to do with my little family is carry on the tradition of a delicious Christmas dinner. I was talking to my mom about some of her favorite Christmas dishes to make and she handed me this recipe. I remember having it when we were growing, but I had no idea just how easy it was. The chicken is so fragrant and flavorful and it literally melts in your mouth. Even picky eaters love it, making it a win-win recipe!

And the best part? It is so quick to throw together that you don’t have to spend hours in the kitchen and you still can serve your family an amazing meal!

One change that I made to my mom’s simple recipe was I swapped out the butter forolive oil. I really think that the flavor of the oil only makes this dish more delicious.