Roasted Whole Chicken over Potatoes and Carrots

I love this recipe in the fall, but it can really be made anytime of the year. A whole chicken may seem intimidating to make, but it is surprisingly easy and so worth it. Give this recipe a try for a special dinner, and you will have leftover juicy chicken for sandwiches, soups, or whatever your heart desires!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow onion

• 2-3 lbs red potatoes

• 2 lbs rainbow carrots

• 4 tbsp olive oil divided

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or mix parsley & rosemary)

• 1 (4-5lb) roasting chicken

• 1 lemon cut in half

• I head of garlic cut in half

• 1 tsp paprika

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp rosemary

• 1 tsp parsley

• 1 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

2. Chop the onion and potatoes in large pieces and spread on a large baking sheet along with the carrots.

3. Drizzle 2 tbsp olive oil and Italian seasoning over the onions, potatoes, and carrots and roughly move them around so they're coated with the seasonings and oil.

4. Unpack and remove the giblets from the chicken, and pat the chicken with a paper towel to remove any excess liquid.

5. Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the two lemon half’s and two half’s of garlic. Using kitchen twine (I often use floss for this is I don't have kitchen twine and it works well!) tie the legs of the chicken together.

6. Rub the outside of the chicken with the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil.

7. Mix the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, rosemary, parsley, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl.

8. Rub the seasoning on the chicken on all sides making sure it's coated. Place the chicken on top of the veggies.

9. Roast in the oven for about 1.5 hours or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.

10. Remove and let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy!