Benefits

• Covering chicken and vegetables while baking traps steam to cook and tenderize them faster. Covered dishes remain moist and flavorful, but they won't brown, which is especially important for a whole roasted chicken or chicken pieces with the skin on. Boneless chicken breasts, as well as cubed chicken, work well in a covered casserole, although larger pieces of chicken are best roasted and left uncovered. You might notice extra liquid in the pan from the juices of the meat and vegetables. If you're cooking rice with the chicken and vegetables, you'll definitely want to cover the pan, so the moisture and steam can soften the rice.

Methods

• One method for covering chicken and vegetables during baking is to use a baking dish that includes a lid or to cover the pan along with a sheet of aluminum foil, sealing the edges of the foil around the dish. A less-common method, called "en papillote," involves sandwiching individual portions of chicken and vegetables between sheets of parchment paper. You fold the paper to seal it. This French cooking method, which produces tender, flavorful results and makes an elegant presentation, is most-often used for fast-cooking proteins, such as fish and chicken.

Drawbacks

• The primary drawback to covering vegetables and chicken during baking is that they don't brown. Browning, which is created by dry heat, intensifies flavor and creates a slightly crisp crust and golden color. To combine the best of both methods, bake the dish covered until the ingredients are tender and cooked completely; then remove the cover and turn the heat up to 400 degrees. Roast the dish uncovered for 5 to 15 additional minutes to improve the chicken's flavor and appearance without drying it out. Incidentally, baking and roasting are both types of dry heat and are essentially the same. Roasting is the term used to describe cooking meat or vegetables, while the term, "baking" is used in conjunction with cookies, cakes and breads.

Preparation

• Chicken's mild flavor pairs well with a host of vegetables. For a classic French twist, combine onions, carrots, chicken, bacon, red wine and thyme. For a Southwestern dish, combine chicken with green chilis, potatoes, peppers and corn. Tomatoes, peppers, onions and basil add Italian flavor to baked chicken. Cut the vegetables into 1-inch cubes for quick, uniform cooking. You can also use canned soups to make a creamy sauce. In most cases, leaving the dish uncovered for at least a portion of the cooking time results in a more flavorful end result. Regardless of the cooking method you choose, cook chicken until it feels slightly firm, is no longer pink, and the juices run clear. A meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit.