As my family knows, I have a general prohibition on leftovers for dinner. I don't mind eating leftovers for lunch, but there's just something about the same dinner two nights in a row that I find hard to swallow. (HA! Pun totally intended!). That said, I have discovered the most perfect meal ever to make on a Sunday afternoon. It takes hardly any prep-time, it cooks itself while you're out doing whatever it is you do in the late Sunday afternoons, it's made all in one roasting pan so very little to clean up, and it gives you such delicious and plentiful leftovers that even I am willing to serve it again on Monday. Not to mention the huge added benefit of no cooking on Monday, which is such a relief on that crazy busy day.
The wonder-child of Sunday meals? Drum roll please...
Roasted chicken and vegetables.
Oh dear, were you expecting something sexier? Yes, perhaps I built it up too much. But really, isn't it true that the very best recipes are classics for a reason? And here's what makes it so fabulous - you roast the veggies right there in the pan with the chicken.
Now, this may be old news to you, because I've seen recipes for this floating around for ages. But I never tried it because I was concerned the veggies would end up too greasy. Let me tell you - they do not. They come out just right - flavored with the chicken drippings, but still crisp and earthy. Oh so good. And the key is to roast 2 chickens at once, which gives you plenty of leftovers.
(By the way, have you noticed I haven't been posting as much? You have? Oh, that's sweet. Sorry. Work has been insanely busy and I've been having to work every night after kiddos go to bed instead of playing on my blog.)
Roasted Chicken with Vegetables
2 whole chickens, between 3 and 4 pounds each, rinsed and patted dry
1 sweet yellow onion
1 head of garlic
1 lemon
Salt
Pepper
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Fresh herbs if you still have them, or your favorite spice rub if you do not (my herbs, after a summer of love, finally gave up on me this past week and wilted beyond my ability to resuscitate them. I'm going to blame it on the cold weather and not the complete and total neglect they've been subjected to since work got so crazy)
3 sweet potatoes, cut into large chunks
6 medium red potatoes, cut into thirds
6-8 carrots, peeled and cut into thirds
Olive oil
Preheat oven to 425. In the roasting pan: toss sweet potatoes, red potatoes, and carrots with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salt, and a teaspoon of pepper. Arrange on bottom of roasting pan. If you have not filled up your roasting pan, add more veggies - remember the point is to have lots of leftovers. Place roasting rack over veggies.
Prep the chicken: stuff each one with half an onion, half a lemon, and half of the head of garlic (if you have fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme throw some in as well). Tie the legs together, tuck the wings behind, and place on roasting rack. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle liberally with salt, pepper, and your spice rub (if not using fresh herbs). Roast at 425 for 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Remove from oven, cover with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. Carve one chicken and serve with half the veggies. Save the other chicken and the remaining veggies for the next night.
Happy eating!
