Whole Roasted Chicken and Spring Veggies

I used to think that impressive meals had to be complicated. Or that they had to contain unique ingredients like passion fruit or truffle oil. Don't get me wrong – I still love cooking these type of recipes. But lately I've been really enjoying the simple classics. After all, how gorgeous is the look of a roasted chicken, crisped to perfection? It's one of our favorite "one pot" meals.

Roasting a whole chicken is way easier than you might think; plus, it's super budget-friendly. This dish usually feeds us two dinners, plus we use any leftover meat for chicken sandwiches. And because I hate to waste, I usually make chicken broth in my slow cooker with the carcass. It's always really satisfying to pull out homemade soup broth from the freezer on a cold day. 

There are obviously a million and one ways to roast a chicken. It's not a seasonal dish, by any means. Try adding your own favorite herbs and vegetables. You really can't go wrong. 

And the roasted vegetables? Oh my goodness. I've already told you how I feel about caramelizing veggies on high heat. They turn into candy. And all it takes is a quick toss in olive oil and sea salt. Honestly guys, try this at home, if it's not already on your recipe repertoire.

Whole Roasted Chicken and Spring Vegetables 

Serves 4-6

1 roasting chicken, 5-7 pounds

2 large parsnips, cut into french fry shaped chunks

3 carrots, sliced at an angle

1 lb potatoes

Several springs of fresh rosemary

2 T olive oil

Sea salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450. Rinse and pat chicken, and rub with course salt, pepper and herbs. Roast for 30 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 400 and roast for 15 minutes. In the meantime, toss the veggies and potatoes in olive oil and salt. Place in second roasting pan and roast both chicken and veggies for 40-45 minutes or until chicken registers 165 on a meat thermometer. Let chicken sit for few minutes before carving.