Roasted Chicken & Vegetables – Deliciously Gluten and Lactose Free

Roasted chicken & vegetables is easily a top five favorite meal in our house. The savory aroma and the warmth of the oven just sing a song of welcome to our home. The ingredients are budget-friendly and the portion size allows for leftover meals.

Just this week, we ate nine meals (three people, three times) from this base recipe. I made the chicken and vegetables for Sunday dinner, and then I made stock and ultimately soup for dinner on Monday and Tuesday (with a quart leftover for the freezer.) By my estimate, I spent less than $12 on more than three nights of dinners for my family. Maybe closer to $13.50 when you add in the salads for soup night, but still an incredible bargain!

With about 45 minutes of prep work and about two hours of roasting time, this is one of my more time-consuming meals. The flavor and the comfort of knowing that this meal is safe for my family is well-worth the time in my book. I hope your family enjoys this meal as much as mine!

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken, 3-5 pounds
• 6 Russet Potatoes
• 1 White Onion, quartered
• 2 Stalks Celery, quartered
• 8 Large Carrots
• 3/4 Stick Margarine
• 2 TBSP Garlic & Onion Seasoning Blend
• 1 TBSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper – to taste
• ~1 TBSP Cornstarch – for gravy

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Melt 1/2 stick of margarine and stir in 1 tbsp of seasoning blend. I added a heavy pinch of salt to mine.
• Pat chicken dry and remove any giblets or other items from the body cavity. Place in desired roasting pan or high sided baking dish, breasts up. I opted for a disposable pan this time.
• Loosen the skin from the breasts a pour half of the butter mixture into the space. If cooled enough, use your hands to ensure even spread.
• Pour the remaining mixture over the chicken and rub along the underside as well.
• Wash your hands thoroughly. Salmonella = bad.
• Peel your carrots and chop into dainty pinky sized pieces, place in a medium mixing bowl
• Take 4 carrot pieces, your quartered onion, and chopped celery sticks and stuff the chicken. You may add more carrots if necessary.
• Wash your hands, again, we don’t want salmonella. My kids are notorious for wanting bites of my veggies as I prepare meals, and I do not want raw chicken contaminating their little bellies.
• Peel, rinse and halve or quarter your potatoes, depending on their size. Add to the mixing bowl.
• Add your olive oil and the remaining seasoning blend to the bowl and stir until well mixed.
• Surround the chicken with potatoes and carrots
• Place the pan, uncovered, on the center rack. Bake at 400 degrees for thirty minutes.
• After thirty minutes, lower your oven temperature to 350. Take your remaining 1/4 stick of margarine, divide into a few pats, and place on the chicken breasts.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 90 minutes, until meat reads at least 165 degrees
• Remove from the oven and allow to rest at least five minutes before slicing. I used this time to prepare my gravy.
• For Gravy
  • Carefully pour dripping from the chicken into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
  • In a small cup, fork whisk your cornstarch and just enough cold water to make a slurry.
  • Slowly pour your slurry into your boiling drippings, while whisking quickly to prevent clumps.
  • Repeat the process if thicker gravy is desired. Remove from heat.
    

This recipe leaves a lovely, crispy skin and juicy meat on the chicken. The carrots at the top of the pile have a nice, caramelized crunch, while the lower pieces are nice and tender. We prefer to either mash or cut our potatoes on our plates for this meal, but feel free to mash yours together in a bowl first. I chose sliced cucumbers and fresh strawberries rounded out this meal, to the delight of my kiddos.

Tips From The Kitchen

• Plan for your leftovers ahead of time. Making sandwiches? Store leftovers in hearty slices and strip the legs, wings, and thighs from the bone. Chicken salad or soup? Chunk the pieces as you go. Your future self will thank you for time well saved.
• Keep the bones and any other leftover pieces for making stock. I simply put mine in a zippered storage bag for the morning.
• Adjust your vegetables to your liking. Prefer sweet potatoes to russet? Easy swap. Love onions, celery, and parsnips? Toss them in! Simply add more or use less olive oil and seasonings to ensure a good coating.
• Play with seasonings! We have several blends in regular rotation, but it’s fun to experiment with flavor. Make sure to check the labels for gluten and milk.