Easy Baked Chicken

This is the story of how I turned these 5 ingredients into something wonderful.  Something mouth-wateringly (yes, I just made that word up!) delicious and simple enough to make every week!  I used to be intimidated by the thought of baking a whole chicken, preferring to just buy the rotisserie bird at the store already cooked, but fear not, Cowtown Friends!  This is so simple!  So easy!  And I promise you, tastes fabulously better and you won't go back to the rotisserie standby! (Ok, maybe you will occasionally, but it will only be for extenuating circumstances ha)  But other than that, trust me, for flavor, tenderness, and easiness, this is the way to go!

For this recipe, you'll need:

• 1 whole chicken (mine are usually about 3-4 lbs, but you can use whatever you like)
• extra virgin olive oil
• coarse sea salt
• onion
• garlic

First things first, you have to do is clean the bird.  I admit this is my least favorite part.  I hate it.  But I've had to come to terms with it bc it has to be done.  Remove the giblets, rinse the chicken, and pat dry.  Place on cookie sheet lined with foil.  I usually grease mine with olive oil. 

Tie back the legs with string, as seen above.  Season whole chicken with coarse sea salt.  Now, the recipe calls for only rubbing olive oil if bird is smaller than 3 1/2 lbs, but I like to rub the olive oil on anyway.  So I do.

Then you're ready!  Roast chicken in 400 degree oven for about 12 minutes per pound, until thermometer in thigh reaches 165 degrees.  

Now, after 30 minutes of roasting, you're ready to add veggies for the remaining roasting time.  This is easy!  Just have your veggies chopped and ready to go and throw them on the pan, around the bird, after 30 minutes of roasting time.  This time around I just did garlic and onions, but you could use carrots, potatoes, or sweet potatoes & they would all be fabulous!

Remove your chicken from oven & let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.  Doesn't it look yummy??  And look at those onions!!!!  YUMMMMM!  Yes, they have that yummy chicken flavor & they're soft and totally tasty!  Yes, I love onions & these are delightful!  

Hope everyone can try this recipe - we love it bc everyone in our family will eat it, but we can have it one night with some sides (like the amazing smashed potatoes), and then the next night, chop up the remaining chicken for another dish (chicken spaghetti is a regular favorite around here).  It's just so easy and versatile.  Have I said easy enough??  Enjoy!!