Do you love roasted chicken?  I do!  It always brings back memories of Sunday suppers, and eating dinner with the whole family.  Mom always roasted a chicken.  It was an easy dinner that she could use throughout the week as leftovers, and one chicken always made at least 3 meals.

Roasted chicken doesn’t have to be complicated, and to make dinner time even easier, we cut the spine out of our chicken.  It helps the chicken cook quicker, and more even, locking in all those delicious juices.  Save the spine, and toss it in a large pot of water with some onions, carrots and celery and make a quick chicken stock for a gravy to go with dinner.

Herb and Garlic Roasted Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

1 4-5 lb chicken, gizzards removed
1 stick butter
1 tbsp (3 cloves) garlic, minced
3 tbsp fresh poultry blend herbs (thyme, rosemary, parsley and sage), minced – we used a combination of fresh herbs from the garden
1/2 tbsp salt
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees.  425 degrees is the optimal temperature for roasting a chicken – it makes for a perfect golden brown and delicious skin, and juicy, juicy meat.

In a small pot, over low heat, melt butter with minced herbs, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.

Remove the spine from the chicken by placing your bird, breast side down on a cutting board, and using the little neck flap as a guide, with a sharp knife, carefully cut down each side of the spine to remove.  Clean up the gizzards on the inside, and place the bird, breast up, in a large roasting pan.

Pour melted butter mixture over entire chicken.

If you want, add some chopped veggies to the dish with your chicken – we added some potatoes, and seasoned them with salt and pepper.

Roast in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turing 180 degrees halfway through the cooking process to ensure even browning.  When ready, the chicken should reach an internal temperature of no less than 165 degrees when a thermometer is inserted to the thigh.

Remove from heat, and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Cut chicken into thin pieces – like carving a Thanksgiving turkey, or like we did tonight, and cut into 8 pieces – two breasts, two thighs, two legs, and two wings.

Serve with your favorite sides.  We had macaroni and cheese and broccoli with ours.  (I cooked the potatoes to use for breakfast the next day as hashbrowns!)