Vegetable Stuffed Roast Chicken

 Roasted Chicken is another all-time favorite and easy to do meal that looks like a big deal.  This meal does take some time but not much preparation time. On a scholarly note, according to expert opinion roasting only happens to whole chickens.  If we cut up the chicken into pieces and cook it exactly the same way it is considered to be baking, not roasting.  With that said, we will start with a whole chicken.

I selected a 6 pound chicken at the local food store and paid $1.39 per pound.  I still expect prices in line with Mom sending me to the A&P on the way home from school, so it seemed like $1.39 for the whole chicken would be right, but it was actually $8.34. 

To add some flavor and some fun I stuffed this one with a Vegetable Stuffing. The total cost for the finished stuffed bird and some mashed potatoes came in about $15, so a family of five eats for $3 each, the heck with fast food.

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken about 5 to 7 pounds.
• 1 cup chopped celery.
• ½ cup chopped shallot.
• ½ cup chopped carrot.
• 2 cups Spinach.
• 1 ½ cup bread crumbs.
• 1 cup bread stuffing.
• 2 large eggs.
• 3 Tbsp. Butter.
• ¼ to ½ cup water or stock.
• Salt, pepper, garlic powder, and sage to taste.

Directions

1. Heat EVO in frying pan and add chopped vegetables (not the Spinach).
2. Cover and cook vegetables very slightly, you want to see them sweat just a bit.
3. Add half the water or stock, and butter, to pan and heat one minute more.
4. Lightly whip eggs in large mixing bowl, add vegetables, bread stuffing, Spinach, and seasonings.
5. Knead the mixture with your hands (the fun part) and add breadcrumbs and water to get a nice gooey mix that sticks together.
6. Wash the chicken, remove everything inside, and pat dry inside and out.
7. Coat the chicken lightly with EVO and season outside and inside.
8. Using your hands and a large spoon fill both the larger cavity and the smaller one at the other end with the stuffing mixture. Pack in in as tight as you can using the spoon to cram it in.
9. Place the chicken in a large baking dish; add excess stuffing and some pieces of Spinach for color. Cover tightly with foil.
10. Bake in 350 F oven until done (165 F or more), uncover for the last 3o minutes.

Cooking time = 20 minutes * pounds of chicken plus 15 minutes plus 30 more because it is stuffed.

  My bird =         (20 * 6) = 120 +15 = 135 + 30 = 165 minutes. 165/60 = 2.75 hours or 2 hours and 45 minutes.

  My bird =         Uncover after 2 hours and 15 minutes.

1. 

   Ready to Cook