My Most Comforting meal

To me there is nothing more comforting and homey than a perfectly roasted chicken. I have tried many methods for getting that crispy skin and and tenderly juicy meat. This seems to be the method I turn to again and again. Its pretty simple and straight forward.

Buying a good quality bird really does make a difference. My local grocery store now carries Bell & Evans all natural chicken, which I think is worth the few extra dollars.

Lemon Rosemary Roasted Chicken

1 4-5 lb. all natural chicken

1/2 stick butter, room temp.

small bunch fresh rosemary, divided, half of it chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 lemon, cut in half

2 med. size onions, peeled and cut into wedges.

salt

pepper

olive oil

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Season inside cavity with salt and pepper. Set aside in roasting pan.

In a small bowl mix together butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and chopped rosemary.

Loosen skin on chicken by placing fingers between the meat of the chicken and the skin, being careful not to rip the skin. Do this on the breast meat and also the legs of the chicken. With your fingers stuff the butter mixture between the meat and the skin, trying to cover as much of the bird as possible. Squeeze half of lemon inside cavity of bird, placing that lemon inside cavity. Stuff cavity with 1/2 of onion and the rest of the rosemary (you do not need to chop it). Drizzle outside of chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Squeeze the other half of the lemon over bird and, if there is room, place lemon inside of cavity. Scatter the remaining onion in pan around bird. Drizzle onions with olive oil.

Bake for 1 to 1- 1/2 hours (depending on size of bird), or until juices run clear.

And if you really want an awesome dinner, serve the chicken with these potatoes.

Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes

1 head garlic

olive oil

3 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" cubes.

1/2-1 stick of butter (whichever you prefer)

1/2 cup half and half

3/4 cup buttermilk

salt

pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Cut the top off of a head of garlic, exposing the individual cloves. Place garlic on a piece of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap foil around garlic and roast in oven for 30-45 minutes, or until tender. Set aside.

Place potatoes in large pot of boiling water. Cook until tender. Drain potatoes and put them back in the pot you cooked them in. Add butter, half and half and buttermilk. Let butter melt a bit and mash with a potato masher. Squeeze garlic cloves from their skins and mix into potatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Add more buttermilk for creamier potatoes. Serve hot and go to bed happy!