So there’s Sunday’s Finest Roasted Chicken; all dressed up, fancy “tie” and all.  Stuffed and seasoned and as delicious as can be.  At least I thought.  But then my laziness set in and I wanted Sundays Finest Roasted Chicken on a weeknight.  Without all of the hassle of stuffing and tying and fussing.  

Enter:  Weeknight Roasted Chicken and Vegetables.  And when I say Weeknight Roasted Chicken and Vegetables I mean the most delectable, juicy, no-fuss, melt-in-your mouth savory bliss of a bird and veggies that may have ever graced this earth.  And that crispy skin.  Somebody stop me.

It will take you a total of 3 minutes and 12 seconds to get this in the oven, for real.  Throw a few seasonings in a bowl and mash it together with some softened butter.  Spread it all over that cute little chick-a-dee and toss a few potatoes and carrots around it.  And don’t even bother peeling those potatoes or carrots…I know you don’t have time for that garbage…and those skins caramelize as if you doused them in brown sugar before putting them in the pan.

Sing, choirs, sing.

So, my dear friends, I introduce to you one of my favorite new shortcut meals to date.  This chicken will knock those cozy fleece socks right off of your feet.  You’ll never buy a store bought rotisserie again.

A perfect meal for any night of the week…and that leftover chicken, use it and abuse it as an impeccable blank canvas for any sandwich, pasta, taco, soup, quesadilla or salad for later on in the week.  2 or 3 meals for the price of 1.  The bargain shopper in me has seen the light!

Weeknight Roasted Chicken and Vegetables

note:  most of the whole chickens you find at your market already have the giblets removed…go that route, its so much easier

Ingredients

1 (approx 4 lb) Whole Chicken, giblets removed

3 Tablespoons Butter, softened to room temperature

1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt + more for the veggies

3/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper + more for the veggies

1 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1 Teaspoon Onion Powder

1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1 Lemon, halved

4-5 Whole, unpeeled carrots, cut into large pieces

1 Pound Small Red Potatoes, quartered

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 and rinse your chicken well with cold water; pat completely dry with paper towel and place in a roasting pan or large baking dish.  In a small bowl mash the butter, salt, pepper, thyme, onion powder and garlic powder together with a fork until combined.  Use your hands to rub the butter mixture into the chicken all over, top and bottom, and lift the skin to get as much as the butter mixture under the skin as you are able.  Squeeze the juice from the lemon all over the chicken and lay the lemon halves in the roasting pan around the chicken.

Place the potatoes and carrots around the chicken.  Drizzle the potatoes, carrots and lemon with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss with your hands to coat.

Place the roasting pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  After 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 400, give the veggies a stir and cook for an additional 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and veggies are caramelized.  Let chicken rest for 15 minutes and shred or slice.  Serves 6+