Roasted Chicken

I've been soaking up the fall here.  The crisp air, the crunchy leaves and oh so many colors!  It's something I look forward to all year.  Last fall, while my husband and I were traveling, there was a freeze and the leaves just died and fell off the trees.  Words fail to express my sadness at the time.

Ok, that was a little dramatic...but it was a super disappointing. 

This is the time of year I look forward to wearing socks and shoes again, having an extra blanket at night, breaking out my favorite scarf and making some of my favorite comfort foods.

Roasted chicken is one of the easiest main dishes to prepare.  It's so easily adaptable and feeds my little family several times.  It's always a crowd pleaser and it looks like to spent a lot of time when really, it takes less than 5 minutes to get this baby in the oven.

Just rinse it, check the cavity to make sure there's not gizzards and then pat it dry with paper towels.

I like to line a 9x13 pan with foil to make clean up easier.  Rub it down with a couple tablespoons of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cover the chicken with foil and bake in a 400 degree F oven until a meat thermometer reads 190 degrees and the juices run clear when you cut it near the hip bone.  Depending on the size of the chicken, this usually takes 1.5 to 2.5 hours.  Remove the foil the last 30 minutes or so to let the skin brown.  Let the chicken rest for about 15 minutes after removing it from the oven before slicing it.

This is the most basic way to do this.  Other variations include:

Placing butter and/or herbs under the skin

Stuffing the cavity with onion and/or lemons

Injecting flavor into the meat with an injector kit

And so many more!

Stay tuned for what to do with the leftovers!

Aubrey