Roasted Chicken Thighs With Bacon, Apples, and Cabbage

Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

Arrange bacon in a single layer in the center of a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet. Arrange cabbage wedges, cut side down and evenly spaced, along outer edges of baking sheet. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on top of cabbage, making sure there's a thigh covering every corner. (The baking sheet gets hottest at the edges and corners; placing chicken there will keep the cabbage from scorching below.) Arrange apple pieces in the empty spaces around the cabbage and chicken.

Lightly drizzle chicken, cabbage, and apples with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Bake, flipping bacon once halfway through, until bacon and chicken skin are browned and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the largest piece of chicken registers 180°F (82°C), about 35 minutes. (If bacon isn't crisped when chicken is done, remove chicken, cabbage, and apple to a large serving platter. Return sheet pan with bacon to oven, and cook until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes.)

Transfer chicken, bacon, cabbage, and apple to a large serving platter; the pan should have a decent amount of rendered fat remaining. Add apple cider vinegar and maple syrup to the pan and, using a fish spatula, stir to combine, taking care to scrape up any browned bits on the pan.

Pour pan sauce all over chicken, cabbage, and apples, and serve with bread, couscous, or roasted potatoes, if desired.