Whole Chicken Recipes. Test Your Skills

Whole chicken recipes. Yes, right, they sound really easy to make but somehow these recipes just do not turn out as they look in the books.

How often have you invited friends over for dinner only to take the chicken to the table looking as if had exploded in the oven, or the meat is as dry as the desert? You are not alone on that one. Happens to the best of us.

With this in mind we have found this recipe we call Roasted Chicken with Garden Veggies and if you follow it carefully your friends will be forever grateful.

Ingredients

4 to 5 pound whole roasting chicken
½ cup butter or margarine, softened
2 teaspoons of rosemary leaves, crushed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon of pepper
2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
6 new red potatoes, cut in half
6 carrots, cut in half crosswise
2 medium onions, cut into quarters
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
Cooking in the oven
Heat the oven to 350 F. secure the wings to the body of the chicken. In a small bowl stir together the butter, rosemary, salt, pepper and garlic. Rub the chicken with half of the butter mixture.
Place the chicken on a rack in the roaster. Place potatoes, carrots and onions on the bottom of the pan around the chicken. Dribble the rest of the butter mixture over the vegetables.
Bake, basting chicken and vegetables occasionally, for two to two and one half hours or until the chicken is for tender. Sprinkle with parsley.
Cooking in the microwave
Cut the carrots into 2 inch pieces. In a small bowl, stir together the rosemary, butter, salt , pepper and garlic.
In a five quart casserole dish, place the chicken, breast side down. Rub the chicken with a small amount of butter mixture. Cover; microwave on high for five minutes. Reduce the power to medium; microwave for twenty minutes.
Drain off the fat and juice. Turn the chicken, breast side up. Place the carrots around the chicken. Spread the chicken and carrots with half of the butter mixture.
Cover; microwave on medium, turning the dish ¼ turn after half the time, ten minutes.
Rearrange the carrots. Place potatoes and onions on top of the carrots. Spread the vegetables with the remaining butter mixture.
Cover; microwave on high, turning the dish ¼ turn every five minutes, or until the chicken is fork tender (15 to 17 minutes).
Tent with aluminum foil: let it stand five minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Don't you just love these whole chicken recipes!