Roast Chicken and Rice and Gravy???

This is the chicken roasted with lots of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. See all of the great gravy juices??? Perfect for topping rice! (crappy picture...remember the wine???)

One of the favorite meals in our house happen on very rare occasions seeing as we really don't have enough time on a normal week night for the whole roasting chicken process. For some reason last night we had nothing going on. Or if we did I forgot about it and we just didn't go???!!!

Everyone here loves roast chicken. Forget the beef, lamb or anything else that you can roast...they want chicken!!! I really think though that the only reason they like it is for the side dishes that come with it. They get to have rice and gravy. Now I was talking to my friend Jenn-The Left Over Queen and I mentioned that we were having rice and gravy. She said "hmmm that sounds good, never had it". WHAAAAT???

I guess though that until T. I had never had it either. It is sooo much better than potatoes and gravy...I kid you not! It is the best.

Unfortunately last was a "too much wine night" and by the time we got around to dinner I forgot to take any pictures. You see on nights like these it is just so nice to be able to sit and all of us to talk.

Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4-5 pound chicken, organic and free range
6 or 7 cloves of garlic
2 Tbsp of olive oil
1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (Usually I just sprinkle by sight. A nice light dusting is good)
salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions:

• Rinse out the chicken and remove the bag of giblets (these can be frozen and used at Thanksgiving or some later date). Place the chicken breast side up on a cutting board. (I once cooked a chicken upside down so now I always check by holding the bird up and pretending it's walking. The breast is on the bottom so I know I need to flip the bird over. This was years ago when we first married but I have never lived it down!!!).
• Mince the cloves of garlic and mix it with the olive oil.
  
• Take the half lemon and place it in the cavity.
  
• Take the oil and garlic mixture and rub onto the birds skin. This will add flavor to the juices as well as make the skin nice and brown.
• Sprinkle poultry seasoning and salt and pepper on the outside of the bird.
• Gently place the chicken in your pot and place in oven.
• Cook uncovered for about 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 hrs or an internal temp of 180 - 185 degrees.

On a side note: I guess most of you know that we are having some major health issues going on with T's Dad. As of right now he is in Cleveland Clinic in ICU. They did a CAT Scan on him last night and hopefully we will know a bit more soon. Please send prayers and well wishes his way. It's a tough time for us to be so far away!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com