Roasted Chicken

I stock up on whole chickens when they're on sale. I caught them one time at Target for $2.99 each so I bought 5 of them! My mom thought I was nuts. What's new?! At home, we get one whole meal from a chicken and sometimes enough leftovers for 1-2 people the next day. I use the leftovers for other recipes later in the week as well. Roasting a chicken is extremely easy and pretty much mistake-proof. I got this recipe from the Pioneer Woman's website, but have learned a few things on my own after doing it so many times.

Here's what I do:

Roasted Chicken

1 whole chicken aka "fryer," rinsed and patted dry with a paper towel

Chop up some fresh herbs (whatever I have on hand; this was rosemary)

About 1-2 T. kosher salt

A good dash of pepper

A good dash of garlic powder (or fresh minced garlic when I feel like it)

About 1-2 T. canola oil

Chop up a couple spare veggies or certain fruits I have on hand (this time it was a lemon, part of an onion, and half of an apple)

Stuff the bird's "buns" (as Lola called it) with the fruit/veggies. Mix everything else together and rub all over the chicken.

Place on a foil-lined pan and create a "nest" around the chicken. Don't let the foil touch the chicken. This will serve as a barrier from all of the juices popping up and splattering all over the inside of your oven. Pioneer Woman didn't mention that; I learned it the hard way. Like this.

Throw in a preheated 450-degree oven for about an hour and 15 minutes. Wait for it...

When it's ready, remove it from the oven and let it sit for about 5 minutes before you cut into it. Don't eat the veggies/fruit that you used to stuff it. They just add flavor and keep it moist. You're all done!! The best part is that you don't even have to wash your pan when you're done bc it stayed nice and clean from the foil.