Chicken Tonight!

In our house, hubs does most of the cooking lately. It used to seem "fair" since he got home from work before I did...but now I get home from work before him...like, an hour before.

Usually I use the time to go for a run, or do some other work out - this keeps me off the couch and away from the kitchen!

On Monday, I used the time to go grocery shopping (usually a job we do together since I'm surprisingly useless in the grocery store...alas, I digress). I had decided on the way to the store that I would buy a chicken - a whole chicken - and I would roast it using the roasting pan I bought at Christmas.

My mom often uses this Barefoot Contessa recipe to roast chickens (and turkeys!), so I decided that I would use it too.

This recipe is a one pan wonder! You throw in potatos, carrots (I used baby - less prep!) and chop up an onion. THEN, you STUFF the chicken with a lemon, a head of garlic, some thyme, salt and pepper. Rub the chicken with butter, season with salt and pepper, and throw it in the oven.

I had it in at 425 (convection) for 53 minutes - good thing I checked it then...my meat thermometer (haha, I still find it funny that I even know what that is!) told me that the chicken was at 175 - perfect for a bird without stuffing you're going to eat!

Here's how she looked when she came out of the oven:


As we devoured this tasty bird, hubs says to me "This is the second best meal you've ever made!". I look at him, grinning, and ask "What was the first best?" - he told me lasagne (I do make a mean lasagne - gluten filled OR gluten free!). Instead of stopping there, he tells me "but I can't think of a third best meal". So in three years of marriage (six years of being together), I've only made two memorable meals (though I've made the lasagne numerous times). Wow. Not only is he a schmuck for pointing that out, but I really should be working on my cooking/baking/creative skills!

After supper we decided to make chicken broth with the carcass. So I called up my MIL, and she sweetly walked me through the directions - she started with "ok, get out a big pot". Hahaha, she knows I need all the help I can get. When I told her about her son's comment on my "two-best" meals, she asked if I smacked him. HA. She's fab.

Anyways, here's the broth - with MIL's instructions! Lets hope this turns out...


If you need a great roast chicken recipe, try this one! It is sooooo delicious!!