I love using roast chicken because it allows me to use the whole chicken with little waste and is much less expensive than boneless skinless breasts.

Roasted whole chicken on a white plate, garnished with rosemary and sliced lemon.

You can make rich homemade broth by saving the bones and drippings from the roast and simmering them overnight in your crockpot with just enough water to cover them. The next day, strain the broth and put it in the refrigerator until the fat hardens and rises to the top for easy removal. You can use the broth as a base for soup using meat from the roasted chicken or freeze it for later use in recipes.

Cooking more than one roast chicken at a time is a good way to stock your freezer with chicken with flavorful poultry, and yields more delicious homemade broth. (When using two roasters, you may need to make the broth on the stovetop if your crockpot is small; just simmer for a couple of hours after dinner then strain and refrigerate.)

Because of its simplicity, just about any side works well with this recipe, but some of my favorites are: microwave acorn squash, slow simmered green beans, steamed broccoli, sugar snap peas, glazed carrots, macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, or rice pilaf.

Recipe

slices of roasted chicken garnished with fresh rosemary and lemon slices on a white plate

Lemon Rosemary Chicken

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This beautiful roast chicken is delicious as well as attractive. The seasoned butter rub means it browns nicely without drying out.

Mary Ann

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Prep Time 30

Cook Time 1 30

Resting Time 5

Total Time 2 5

Course Main Dish

Cuisine American

Servings sesrvings

Calories 223

Ingredients

1 large whole roaster
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1 lemon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400°.
Clean chicken and remove anything in the cavity. Pat dry.
In a small bowl, mix together everything except chicken and lemon. Rub the butter mixture over entire chicken.
Cut the lemon in half, and slightly squeeze the juice from one half over top of chicken. Put both lemon halves inside chicken cavity.
Place chicken on a roasting rack in a roaster and roast for about 1 hour, basting 2-3 times. Cover with foil and roast an additional 30-45 minutes, basting 1-2 times, until internal temperatures reach 165°. Let chicken sit for about 5 minutes before carving.