Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken w/ Veggies

So, I made this dish for Christmas and was surprised at how easy it was. I'm usually a big fan of dishes that are ready right away, but doing a little prep and then getting to hang out for an hour is a good deal too. Especially since it makes the house smell a-mazing! I was also looking for a simple easy dish that requires few additional ingredients and a simple no-cook side dish. So i added a bed of potatoes and carrots. Yum - as you can tell, it was so good, I hate to take a bite!

First, the veggie bed:




- 4 red potatoes (roughly chopped)
- 2 carrots (peeled and chopped)
- 3 cloves garlic (smashed)
- 1 onion (peeled and sliced)

1. Pre-heat oven to 375.
2. Mix the veggies in a roasting pan (I used an aluminum one from the grocery store).
3. Season generously with salt, pepper, thyme.
4. Drizzle with olive oil and toss with hands to combine.
5. Set aside.

Next, the chicken:

1. I prepare the area by setting down a layer of aluminum foil on the counter to hold the chicken.
2. Next, I get my spices ready:



- 2-3 tbs salt
- 1 tbs pepper
- 1 tbs thyme
- 1-2 tbs butter
- 1 lemon (cut off excess rind and chop into 4 pieces)
- 1 head of garlic (halved across the middle)







Put salt, pepper, and thyme in a small bowl for ease of use so you don't contaminate your spices. Put butter in separate bowl.



1. Rinse chicken with cold water. Remove giblets. (I usually just fill it with water and then shake it upside down until all the stuff falls out, but make sure it's all out of there!) Cut off the piece of fat that covers the cavity opening.
2. Pat chicken dry inside and out.
3. Place butt-side up on foil (I don't know if butt-side is a word, but...) Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, thyme.
4. Pick the chicken up under the wings so the cavity is pointing up, sprinkle inside with spices.
5. Place chicken breast-side up. Stuff with lemons and garlic. Sprinkle top with seasonings, be sure to get legs and wings.
6. Mix remaining seasoning with butter. Using your fingers to pry the breast skin away, stuff clumps of seasoned butter under the skin. Push the skin to disperse the butter.
7. Add 1-2 tbs olive oil to butter bowl. Using your fingers to coat the top of the chicken with oil. Rub well to disperse.
8. Transfer chicken to roast pan.
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 1 1/2 hrs, until golden brown and registering 165 degrees.


*Without a rack to raise chicken above vegetables, the underside of the chicken can get undercooked. To help this, I flipped the chicken over after 1hr to properly cook the underside and then extended the cooking time for 20-30 minutes*

Gravy: Remove chicken from pan, drain juices from veggies and combine in a saucepan with 1/2c chicken stock and 2 tbs flour. Whisk until flour is incorporated and heat on medium until gravy thickens.