Easy Roasted Whole Chicken

               This recipe is so stinking easy and tastes AH-MAY-ZING.  I found it over at The Pioneer Woman quite a while ago. The first time I made it my hubby had a foodgasm. I have made it countless times since then, it is just SO great.  This is how I make it, so here goes...

 Start by preheating your oven to 450 degrees Farenheit and line a baking sheet with foil.

You will need 2T of Italian Seasoning...or whatever herbs you like on your chicken (fresh cut herbs would be even better, but for the sake of convenience I use dried!), 1T salt, and 1t ground black pepper.  Put them all in a small bowl and stir them around.

 

 

You will also need about 2-3T oil which you will dump right on in with your herbs and spices. I like to use Coconut Oil.

 

Mix it all up!

Now you want to chop up some goodies to stuff inside your chicken....this time, I used apples and onions.  Other great options are carrots, lemons, and garlic.  Just whatever suits your fancy!  You don't have to chop these up really nicely, just big, coarse chunks.  They add flavor and moisture. Yum.

Alrighty.  The bird.  You want a 3-5lb chicken.  Empty out the insides, rinse it off, and pat it dry with paper towels or a clean hand towel and place it on your foil-lined baking sheet.

We get our whole chickens from Giant (Nature's Promise brand) and these are all the goodies inside!  There is usually a neck too, but this one didn't have one :(  Anywho, freeze and save the goodies for later.  I usually freeze the livers and save them until I have 4-6 and then I bake them (super yummy recipe I will share at another time) and we have them with/for dinner....my 3 year old eats them so you know it's a good recipe! ;)  I throw the other bits (neck, heart, etc) in the pot when I make chicken stock (which I make using the chicken carcass after we devour this thing!)

Okay, now stuff all your apples and onions (or whatever you chose) into the chick-chick.

Then smear all your oily herbs all over it.  Make sure you get the bottom and in all the crevices.

Then bake your bird for an hour to an hour and 15min.  It will come out looking brown and crispy and smelling like heaven.  Let it rest for 10min and enjoy! 

Now wasn't that easy?!