Make it – Weekend Roast Chicken
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Roasting a chicken has always overwhelmed me. From digging out the “guts” to the oh-so-long cook times, I generally avoid meals revolving around the bird. But with my renewed commitment to the kitchen and delicious recipes that re-use chicken, my meal planning this week was dependant on my success.
I had to suck it up.
First, I picked my bird.
1 all- natural farm fresh chicken.
Next, I prepared my key ingredients. Don’t worry, there are only four of them. While we prepare them, let’s preheat the oven to 450.
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and split in half
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
After rinsing my bird and removing the gizzards, I combined the spices and rubbed them all over the inside and outside of the chicken. By the time you’re through, you’ll have quite the “connection” with this birdie.
I placed the garlic cloves inside the cavity, and also added a few tablespoons of chicken broth, which helps add moisture to the chicken.
Placing the chicken breast-side up in a roasting pan, I cooked the bad boy for 10 minutes. Reducing the heat to 350, I then went on a walk while my chicken roasted for an additional two hours.
Once I got back from my walk, I took the chicken out of the oven and let it sit for about 15 minutes to let the juices work their magic. So simple, so easy! I could honestly make this every single week.
I knew the chicken wouldn’t want to be served up all alone, so I made a simple mushroom ragout.
You’ll need:
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 chopped vidalia onion
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 3 cups sliced white mushrooms
- 1 pinch salt, pepper and thyme
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tablespoons marinara or pizza sauce
Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and saute about 3 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 more minute. Finally, add the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 6 minutes.
Next, season with your salt, pepper and thyme. Add chicken broth, Worcestershire and pizza sauce and mix well to combine. reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
Now slice up the bird and serve!
Once finished, remove all the meat from your bird and set aside in the fridge. We’ll need these leftovers for our Stuffed Thai Lettuce Cups and Taco Salad later in the week.
Make this over the weekend. The chicken is tender and flavorful and oh-so-easy. A little bit of time in the kitchen gives you a beautiful weekend dinner and will make dinners so much easier for you throughout the week.
I’ll share the recipes for the lettuce cups and taco salad next week (Monday/Tuesday), but if you want to stock up on the ingredients over the weekend, you should make sure you have…
Lettuce cups: 1/2 vidalia onion (which you’ll have leftover from the mushroom ragout), 1 1/2 garlic cloves (which you’ll have from the chicken), ginger, water-chestnuts (go for the small can, we only need 1/2 cup), soy sauce, chicken broth, wine vinegar, scallions and bibb lettuce
Taco salad: Hearts of romaine, 2 ears of corn, 1 avocado, cheddar cheese, taco seasoning, 2 bell peppers (any color), salsa
And THAT is how you meal plan. I think I could get used to this 
4 Responses to “Make it – Weekend Roast Chicken”
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Tracey said:
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Kristen (swanky dietitian) said:
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