Let's Roast a Chicken!

If you're an incredibly busy cook like myself, you have probably (more than once!) bought a pre-cooked roasted or rotisserie chicken at the grocery store.  They come in all flavors like Mojo, BBQ, Lemon Pepper, and really couldn't be any more convenient.  And oh man, if you've even gotten one from Costco, YOWZA, so juicy!

Cooking the whole bird may seem like some sort of mystical task that should only be tackled by your grandmother and on special occassions, but roasting a chicken is actually super easy, and makes the house smell divine while dinner is cooking.  Give it a try this week!

Yummy Roasted Chicken
1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
1 TBS mayonaisse
Salt
Pepper
Paprika
Onion Powder

1. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

2. Remove the giblets from the chicken.  If this if your first time roasting a chicken, the giblets are usuallly packed in a little bag inside the chicken body. Just reach in, and remove the giblet package. You can dispose of them. We won't be needing those!

3. Pat your chicken nice and  dry with paper towels.

4. Now comes the fun part! Take your 1 TBS of mayonaisse and rub it all over the chicken, just like you're applying it's oven ready suntan lotion.  Don't miss an inch. Just keep rubbing.

5. Once the chicken is well lotioned, sprinkle it will equal parts of salt, pepper, paprika, and onion powder. Make sure you flip the chicken and season it on all sides. 

6. Place the seasoned chicken on a rack in a shallow roasting pan, and place it in the center of your pre-heated oven.

7. Roast for 1 and 1/2 hours.  Juices should run clear when you penetrate with a fork between the thight and the body.  Once the juices run clear, remove the chicken from the oven, and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. 

And THAT IS IT!  That's all there is to it.  This is the perfect meal to make while you are preparing your Lazy Day Gourmet meals for the week. By the time you finish preparing and packing 5-7 dinners in the freezer, you've got a succulent roasted chicken ready to serve for dinner.   Now that's smart cooking.