Whole Roasted Chicken

Roasting a whole chicken is so simple and so delicious but a little intimidating if it is your first time. Depending on the appetite of your family it can last you several meals. It typically lasts our family of 4 two full meals because we have big eaters. We eat roasted chicken one night and then use the rest for salads, sandwiches, pizzas, etc. the following day.  If I'm feeling extremely lazy I just remove the giblets, toss the chicken in the crock pot, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, pour in a little broth and cook it on low for about 6 hours. If we are having company or I want something crispier and prettier then I use this method. It is fool-proof and one of my favorite meals.  If you don't have or don't like rosemary then you could use other herbs like basil, majoram, oregano or thyme or even dry herbs de provence. If you aren't down with butter something is wrong with you  then you could substitute the butter for a 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil.  I got this recipe from Pioneer Woman's blog.

Whole Roasted Chicken

1 Whole Chicken, rinsed and patted dry (I use an Organic Free-Range Chicken from Trader Joe's for about $10-14)

1/2 - 3/4 cup of butter, softened

3 Whole Lemons

4 Sprigs of fresh Rosemary

Salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.  Put the softened butter into a bowl. Zest two of the lemons and stir the zest into the softened (not melted) butter. Finely chop 1 sprig of rosemary and stir into the butter mixture. Give the mixture a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet that is lined with aluminum foil. Rub the entire chicken with the butter mixture making sure to get in all the joints and crevices. Rub butter in the cavity and under the skin.  Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice of one or tow of them on top of the chicken. Stuff the six lemon halves into the cavity of the bird. Stuff the remaining 3 sprigs of rosemary into the cavity of the bird as well. Roast in the oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Skin should be golden and the juices sizzling.

Serve with fresh green beans and roasted potatoes. Yum!