PLAIN OL' ROAST CHICKEN

This dish is soooooooo simple and was actually one of the first things I made my new (ex now) hubby when we got married, found it in a magazine somewhere I think. Ive since add variations but this one is classic.

PLAIN OL' ROAST CHICKEN

1 plump roaster, about 5lbs.

1 stick of butter

a handful of garlic cloves, peeled, left whole

2tsp thyme leaves

S & P

Wash the chicken and remove any innards (or take out the bag!) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put chicken in a roasting pan. I tuck the wings under so they don't burn. In the chicken, stuff the garlic, 1 tsp. thyme and the whole stick of butter. Sprinkle with S & P and the other tsp of thyme. Put in oven. Check every now and then and baste with the butter that comes outta the bird. (Has lots of flavor) Test for doneness ( no pink in the thighs). Now I sometimes add cut up potatoes around the bird before I sprinkle the other things on it. When I do that I toss some wine in there for moisture, red or white whatever I have on hand. Just remember if you cant drink it you cant cook with it.

Another version of this my kids call Sticky Chicken. The kids call it that cuz it makes their fingers all sticky when you eat it.

STICKY CHICKEN

1 chicken, cup up into parts

4 large potatoes

olive oil ( I use extra virgin always)

garlic powder

dried parsley

S & P

wine, red or white

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Put chicken and taters in roasting pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder, parsley and S & P. Drizzle olive oil over chicken, maybe a half cup, I just eyeball it. Then drizzle wine over it, maybe a cup. The wine evaporates and leaves great flavor. This is traditionally made by my Italian mother in law with red wine which yields a nice brown sauce but Ive used whatever I had on hand. Again if you cant drink it u don't use it.

To either of these I have added carrots on occasion. One time I made a one pot meal of it and not only added the carrots but some brussels sprouts. They come out so sweet when roasted and delish. Both of these MUST be served with some nice crusty Italian bread for sopping up the yummy juices, heck Id eat the bread sometimes and skip the rest lolol. Both make great chicken salad from the leftovers if there is any. The juice will congeal a bit when cold and I even add a bit of that to the chicken salad cuz its loaded with flavor!

The chicken salad will only need some mayo, a bit of chopped onion, S & P and I like to use a touch of tarragon in mine. YUM!