Katie Kern's Roasted Chicken with mashed potatoes and green beans

One of the simplest and perhaps scariest ways of cooking is roasting. For some reason when I think of roasting, I see kitchen fires. Maybe it’s because of the DWC I’ve encountered before. Friday, I set off on a quest to roast a chicken.

This might seem complex for a new to the kitchen cook or perhaps tiring to those who are busy, but let me tell you. It is not. It is also very, very cost effective as well. Dinner, not just the bird, was around 15 dollars (this does not include the twine, jar of garlic, or meat thermometer!). And it can feed more than just one. I also have come up with some great uses for leftovers that will bring a smile to anyone’s face.

Now, I had to consult a friend on roasting. While I have cook books and the internet, it’s always good to ask a friend about roasting. I also enjoy it because they will give you their tips. I also titled this entry after her.

I knew what I needed and I went off to the grocery store after having sushi and beer. I also looked amazing that day, so the grocery store felt like being a Stepford Wife except not a robot, just looking amazing.


You will need:
A whole chicken that is good for roasting—found in the meat area with the chicken—not a fryer chicken. (Mine was 5.19 pounds and $4.36 and it was not frozen so I did not have to thaw!)
White Potatoes – I bought a 5 pound bag because it was 2.99 and 3 potatoes at market price in weight were $2.00
Garlic—you can buy fresh and mince it, or you can spend about 4 bucks and get a huge jar of already minced garlic that you can stick in the fridge—I suggest the jar as I hate mincing garlic with a passion.
Green beans—about $1.45 for a pound
Lemons- 4 will do ($1)
Can of Chicken Broth ($.50)
Twine ($3.00)
Onion ($.50)
Butter ($2.00)
Half and Half ($1.50)
Salt and pepper you should have
Meat thermometer

Heat the oven the degree that the packaging requires (mine was 350)

Pull Gizzards and gunk from the cavity and clean with water outside and in. Pat chicken dry. Soften 1/4 a stick of butter in the microwave for about 10 seconds. Rub butter on chicken and salt and pepper the outside skin and inside the cavity. Put a few slices of butter in the cavity. Cut 2 lemons and take one whole lemon and stuff the cavity with them. Using twine, tie the legs up to keep the cavity together.

As you can tell in the picture, I used my fantastic little chili/soup pot rather than a roaster. Pour a little chicken broth in the bottom of your roaster/pot just to cover the bottom, place chicken in pot and put in oven for the time per pound that is needed (mine was 20 minutes per pound)

Let the chicken cook and then 30 minutes before it’s to come out—start on the potatoes

Fill a stock pot, half way up with water and put 4 potatoes in. What? No Peeling? Well if you’d like you a peel and dice them up like I did. But after reading in Cooking Illustrated that boiling potatoes whole and unpeeled produced better mashed potatoes… well hell yeah I am going to do it next time. Add salt and garlic to the water, set it to med-high and wait for it to boil. Boil until potatoes are tender. Drain and peel—use a fork rather than your hands to hold the hot spuds. Put in a bowl and dice up a bit. Now… melt ½ stick of butter and add to the spuds—butter first! Mash up or in my case use a hand mixer. Now had ½ a cup of half and half and mix…. Salt to taste. And cover to keep warm.

In a pan or the pan you used to melt the butter, add a little butter and slice up the onion. Add onions and cook until they are caramelized. This will take a bit of time; I suggest starting it when the potatoes are boiling and almost done.

5 minutes before your chicken buzzer is to go off:
Pull chicken and stick the meat Thermometer into the thigh of the chicken—thickest part—see if you have hit the temp the chicken said was needed (mine was 185 degrees) to be cooked—if not put it back in, if so, pull it and let it rest for 10-15 minutes…

To the caramelized onions: Add garlic and sauté. Add Green beans and sauté. Add ½ cup of chicken broth and let it boil and then bring it back down to a simmer for about 8 minutes.

Carve up the chicken and dinner is served!

Kat and I ate the bird and it was tasty. I then pulled all the meat off the bird to be used for leftovers this week. mmmm.... leftovers.