Ch..ch..ch..chicken!

Happy Sunday, everyone! On a chilly March day like this it pays to have some comfort food up your sleeve, and that's exactly what we're going to pull out and lay on the table.  Pictured above is the divine Roasted Chicken and Stuffed Potato. A dangerous duo that is almost too sinfully good for a Sunday.

Let's observe the progression of the chicken!
First of all, well...naked chicken. There's no real way around that one. It is a naked chicken.

But now you get to work your magic with some homemade herb butter.

And naked chicken becomes...this. (Not really much of an improvement yet, but we'll keep our fingers crossed for future results).

Now you're going to stuff that baby and truss it up good. When your bird is fully incapacitated, it should look something like this...

And then comes THE BACON. That's right, there's no mistaking that call for Flavor Town. Layer it up nice.

Isn't it bee-yu-ti-ful?!
Now, even with all those veggies stuck up it's w@$#! this chicken still needs a side dish. Our stuffed baked potatoes are the obvious choice since when they come steaming from the oven they look like this...

 And all I want to do is absorb them through my entire surface area as fast as humanly possible. Now the chicken finally comes out looking all brown and happy, and there's nothing left to be done but indulge your taste bud's prayers for satisfaction.

So go right ahead. Grab a fork and make this a Sunday to be thankful for. :)  See you next weekend!

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

1 (5 1/2 pound) free-range chicken

1/2 bunch each fresh oregano, thyme, and parsley

1/4 pound unsalted butter, softened

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 orange, quartered

1/2 lemon, quartered

1 head garlic, halved

1 medium white onion, halved, plus 1 onion

2 carrots, roughly chopped

6 strips smoked bacon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Rinse the chicken with cool water, inside and out. Pat it dry with paper towels. Divide the herbs, keeping 1/2 of them whole. Finely chop the other half. In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the chopped herbs, until combined. Rub the herb butter under the skin. Season the bird all over with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity layering with the orange, lemon, half head of garlic, 1 onion, and the remaining herbs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine to help hold its shape. Place the chicken, breast-side up, in a roasting pan. Put the remaining onion , half of garlic and carrots into the pan. Lay the strips of bacon across the chicken and roast for 25 minutes.

Remove the bacon and baste the chicken with the drippings and cook for another 25 minutes to brown the skin. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer reads 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (Very important) Remove the chicken to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes, so the juices settle back into the meat before carving.

Stuffed Baked Potato

 Ingredients:

4 medium-sized Idaho potatoes

Extra-virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

About 2 cups, plus more for topping, shredded sharp white Cheddar

2 heads broccoli, florets, blanched in salty water

1/2 pound bacon, medium dice, cooked until crisp

2 tablespoons chives, chopped

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Begin by baking the potatoes, as this will take the longest. Place potatoes onto a baking sheet. Pierce with a fork, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt. Place into preheated oven and bake for about 1 hour.

While they are baking prepare the stuffing. Make a mornay sauce by combining the butter and flour over medium heat and then whisking in the milk. Fold in about 2 cups cheese and stir until melted. Once melted, remove from heat and fold in the cooked broccoli florets, crispy bacon bits, chopped chives and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

When the potatoes are done make a cut across the top and squeeze it from the bottom so a small pouch opens up and the bottom is squared off. Spoon the filling over the top of the potato, sprinkle with cheese, season with pepper, to taste, and then pop in the oven for 2 more minutes until golden brown and bubbly.