Chicken with Baked Melon

Now this is NOT a crock recipe, but my kids pronounced it a five gold star meal so I thought I'd share any ways.

It is a one pan entree, I served it with mashed potatoes on the side, and I wished I had some steamed red cabbage to go with it but the grocery wanted 99¢/lb for it

ingredients
8 chicken thighs, frozen but separated
1 lg onion, sliced into half moons
1 cup mixed melons, under ripe preferred
1 peach or nectarine, pitted and chopped
salt
Pepper
Oil
Cast iron pan large enough to hold all the chicken pieces

Preheat oven to 400•F
Over high heat, use just enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan.
When hot, turn the flame to low and sweat the onion while you cut up the fruit.
remove the onion (set aside to go back in later), crank the heat back to med-hi and CAREFULLY add the chicken, skin side down. Salt & pepper this side ONLY to taste.
Brown each side for 5-6 minutes each ... Adding the fruit and the onions back to the pan after turning the chicken over (bird now skin side up).
Shut off heat and grab your oven mitts, because now the bird (pan and all) goes into the oven.
Bake 1/2 hour at 400•F
Reduce heat to 350•F, cook an additional 1/2 hour moving chicken to be sure it isn't sticking to the pan.
Violá

I used frozen chicken which I purchased when the store had it on sale for 99¢/lb ... It wouldn't thaw for me in time so I had to make due ... Remember that ice crystals hitting the hot oil will SPLATTER so be very careful adding the chicken to the pan.

I used a mix of cantaloupe and honeydew for my melon - it was what I had on hand, but experiment ... This would be a great dish for well drained pineapple and mandarin oranges too.
The melon cooks mushy so under rips are great foe this recipe, but they give up their juicy goodness to make a wonderful glaze with out adding extra sugar or honey.
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chicken is a bit greasy this way since you cook it in the same pan you fry it in ... But frying it first helped to keep it from drying out while trying to get it to cook completely through coming from the frozen state.
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Difficulty: easy
Time: 1 1/2 hour total including prep (mostly thawing chicken enough to separate pieces in hot water)
Device: stove & oven
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The ratings from the family:
"it was pretty good with the apple" hubby told me(sorry no apple in there)
"it was AWESOME" my 15 yr old son said
"chicken- gold star; onions- gold star; melon - 2 gold stars; peach - gold star; mashed potatoes - gold star. yum, save that recipe for me when I grow up" my 11 yr old daughter ... Is there any better compliment?
My 22 yr old will eat just about anything but onions, so you can imagine how he felt about it.