Easy Eats- Lemon roasted chicken and vegetables

 
 

I'm going to be honest with you. Even with two children at home, I thought I would have more free time for myself. I know you moms of two or more children are laughing at me. Free time? Coordinating naps? Good sleep? Yeah. So thanks for sticking with me as I write blog posts in five-minute snippets.

I've got a great one-pot-wonder meal to share with you that cooks effortlessly in the oven and requires no special instructions, complicated ingredients, or constant stirring. This meal is easy, yummy, and feeds everyone in our family, including opinionated toddlers.

I've adapted it from a recipe found in Danielle Walker's Meals Made Simple, which is my go-to recipe book for 2-3 nights a week. (Well it was my go-to. We're still getting some yummy meals delivered from friends and then just eating leftovers and scraps from the pantry currently. . .)

Ingredients:

  • Whole chicken for roasting (I prefer an organic, free-range)
  • 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced into 2-inch pieces
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled
  • 3 Tb coconut oil or ghee
  • 3 tsp course sea salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp dried thyme

Steps:

  1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
  2. Rinse the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Place in roasting pan.
  3. Stuff lemon, onion, and garlic inside chicken.
  4. Melt coconut oil/ghee and pour over chicken.
  5. Season outside of chicken with salt, pepper, and thyme.
  6. Cook for 35 minutes, add carrots and reduce heat to 400 degrees. Cook for an additional 30 minutes, or until chicken juices run clear.

Voila! I promise you will feel like a grown-up with your fancy chicken and won't spend all day in the kitchen. We often add rice, fruit, or salad as an additional side. If you have some extra time, you could whip up this delicious pumpkin beer bread recipe from my dear friend Kristen.

A few tips to make things extra yummy (and easy):

  1. Substitute baby carrots if you want to avoid peeling and cutting.
  2. Leave the lid OFF the pan to make sure the skin gets browned and crunchy.
  3. Slice the chicken to serve and then pour the broth from the pan over it for added flavor.

Enjoy!

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