Roast Chicken

This week at Publix you can pick up a whole chicken for just $1.49 per pound. Many people shy away from getting a whole chicken thinking it requires too much effort. I actually try to keep a couple of whole birds in my freezer at all times. You can do so much with a chicken and usually it doesn’t require too much effort.

I have two favorite roast chicken recipes. Earlier this week I shared my Cream Cheese Stuffed Chicken recipe and today I am sharing my favorite way to do Roast Chicken.

I could eat this chicken several times per week and never get tired of it. It’s also a great presentation so it’s perfect meal for company as well. I always kid my husband that when the boys are teenagers, I will have to cook three chickens just for one meal. It’s that good!

You can use any veggie that you like but I highly suggest sweet potatoes and acorn squash – the combination is so good!

This meal is part of the Publix Menu Plan For the Week Of 5/15 – 5/21 (5/14 to 5/20 for some). Here are the other recipes I have shared this week:

Roast Chicken – Easy & Delicious!
Author: Michelle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 4 – 6
[url href=”https://www.iheartpublix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/chicken-ingred-1.jpg”][img src=”https://www.iheartpublix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/chicken-ingred-1.jpg” width=”500″ height=”382″ class=”aligncenter size-full” title=”chicken-ingred”][/url]
Ingredients
  • 1 whole chicken (approx 4 – 5 lb bird)
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 head of garlic, cut in half crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted
  • large bunch of fresh thyme, divided
  • salt & pepper
  • 1 acorn squash, cut into large chunks
  • 3 medium sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
  • 1 large onion, cut into large chunks
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 425º F.
  2. Remove giblets and neck from the chicken and wash the bird – inside and out.
  3. Pat to dry the bird and sprinkle a liberal amount of salt and pepper inside the bird’s cavity.
  4. Stuff the cavity with the two halves of lemon, both halves of garlic, and a large bunch of fresh thyme.
  5. Place the bird in a roasting pan.
  6. Tie the legs and tuck the wings under the bird.
  7. Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle with salt & pepper.
  8. Place in 425º F oven for 30 minutes.
  9. Sprinkle cut veggies with salt and pepper and add about 15 – 20 springs of thyme.
  10. Once the bird has cooked for 30 minutes, add the vegetable mixture around the bird and return to the oven and cook for an additional hour.
  11. Check to make sure the chicken is done and juices run clear.
  12. Remove from oven and cover with aluminum foil.
  13. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
  14. Carve the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables.
Notes
[i]Adapted from [url href=”http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/perfect-roast-chicken-recipe.html” target=”_blank”]Food Network[/url][/i]