Juicy roast chicken with mixed root vegetables is an easy one-pan dinner, perfect comfort food for a busy weeknight.
Every working mom knows that getting dinner on the table on weeknights is a daunting task. I do my best to plan ahead, cook a meal or two on the weekend, and make simple meals, but sometimes a call to the local pizza place is the best I can do. This roast chicken is one of my favorites, because everything gets dumped in a roasting pan, put in the oven, and an hour later, dinner is done. Roast chicken isn’t my husband’s favorite, so I usually make it when he’s out.
Just so happened he was in Texas all week so roast chicken was the first dinner on my list. My kids love it – they start with the legs then dive into the white meat. The other bonus with this one is that the veggies are tossed with salt, pepper, and oil and roasted right along with the chicken. Use any mixture of root veggies you have: carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, onions, etc. I had sweet potatoes and turnips, so that’s what I used along with an onion for some flavor. The results were delicious.
- 1 medium chicken, about 4-5 pounds
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- ¼ tsp. dried thyme or a few sprigs fresh
- 4 cloves of garlic, peels and smashed
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, cut into 8 wedges
- 4 cups root vegetables, cut into chunks (potatoes, sweet potatoes, turnips, carrots)
- Preheat oven to 475F.
- Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with the thyme, salt and pepper. Place 3 garlic cloves inside the chicken. Season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper and rub some olive oil all over the skin (about 1 tablespoon).
- Meanwhile, combine the vegetables and remaining garlic clove in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over the top. Toss to coat.
- Spread the vegetables in a roasting pan and nestle the chicken in the middle.
- Roast for 25 minutes at 475F, then reduce the heat to 400F and cook fro another 45 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving.
- Spoon the pan juices over the chicken and vegetables before serving.
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