Italian Chicken with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

1 Tble olive oil                                            3 cloves garlic, minced

8 oz bulk Italian sausage                             2 tsp sugar

2 lbs. bone in chicken thighs                       ¼ cup white wine vinegar

1 onion, halved and sliced                           ¾ cup chicken broth

1 red pepper, sliced into ¼ inch strips         1 tsp dried thyme

¼ cup mild gardinere

1.)    In my 12 inch iron skillet, cook your sausage over medium high heat.  Remove the sausage to a plate.  Add the olive oil to the pan and heat until very hot.  Pat dry your chicken and place in hot skillet, skin side down.  Let cook for about 5 minutes, then turn.  Cook another 5 minutes. If you need to do this in batches, that’s ok- I just removed the first batch of chicken to the plate with the sausage on it, then continued cooking the rest of the chicken.

2.)    Remove the last of the chicken. Preheat your oven to 350*. Cook your onion and peppers in the same skillet until translucent.  Stir in the garlic, cook another 30 seconds.  Add in the sugar, vinegar, chicken broth and thyme.  Stir up any bits on the bottom of the pan, that’s where the flavor is!

3.)    Arrange the chicken and the sausage in the skillet, on top of the peppers and onions.  Carefully put everything into the oven.  Let cook another 20 minutes or so. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 160* at the thickest part.