Chicken with Apricot Glaze

Food Editor's Note: This recipe came to us via Julie from one of her mother's neighbors. Julie's family enjoys this chicken all the time and now, so does my family. It is a variation of a popular recipe using apricot preserves and is perfect for Rosh Hashanah and for a sweet and tangy entrée year round. You may also use boneless chicken breasts, but cook for less time to avoid drying out.

Ingredients

2 cut up chickens (approximately 3 pounds each)
1 jar apricot preserves (about 12 ounces)
1 8-ounce bottle Russian or Creamy French dressing
1 envelope onion soup mix
½ cup orange juice or vermouth or white wine
1 large can seedless green grapes or 1 cup fresh grapes (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken pieces close together in a baking pan. Mix together all the remaining ingredients and pour over the chicken. Bake for 45 minutes. Add grapes and continue baking another 30 minutes. The sauce will thicken and form a glaze. If the chicken needs more browning, remove the pieces to another pan and broil for a few minutes, watching carefully. Scrape the sauce from the first pan into a bowl to serve as "extra" or pour over the chicken when done cooking. (The sauce will burn if it cooks too much or at too high a temperature.)

Serve hot or at room temperature.