Fall has me craving roasted, one-pan meals like this roast chicken with apple-carrot mash. I used to roast whole chickens weekly, but for some undetermined reason the habit dropped off last spring. Luckily, Fall is the best reason to revive the habit.
For this meal, the chicken is seasoned simply with salt and pepper. I wanted to keep it very basic, because the star of the show is the apple-carrot mash! You’ll roast the chicken over the fruit and veggies, letting the drippings from the meat flavor what will become a rustic, slightly sweet mash to serve with the chicken.
Lately, most of my cooking happens on the weekend. Since I’m not a full-time food blogger, I simply don’t have an abundance of time during the week. It’s like meal prepping, but slightly more complicated since I try out new recipes and photograph them while also preparing food for the week.
It’s been working well — I have ample time to document recipes, make modifications, and take advantage of the natural light for pictures. Then, I eat the delicious results throughout the week and I have more free time on the weeknights. Win-win-win-win!
And trust me, I know that sounds like my week might get boring. After all, I’m eating the same reheated dishes all week.
But that’s where roast chicken becomes a star player. My husband and I usually each eat a thigh the day the chicken is roasted. And then? Chicken leftovers are endlessly versatile.
I repurpose leftover roast chicken for salads, toss it with sauces like pesto, hot sauce, or homemade ranch to give it new flair, or add it to soups and casseroles (like my buffalo chicken sweet potato egg bake). Basically, roasting a whole chicken provides my weekday lunches for the entire week. It doesn’t get more awesome than that!
This recipe is inspired by a few different things I’ve seen online, but I’ve got to give a lot of credit to this recipe by Real Everything (formerly Paleo Parents). Roasting chicken over cabbage is so good…you’ve got to try it!
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Roast Chicken with Apple-Carrot Mash
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings + leftover chicken 1x
- Category: Entree
- Method: roasted
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped & peeled Braeburn apples
- 3 cups chopped carrots
- 1 cup sliced onions
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 whole roasting chicken
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Chopped parsley (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- Toss apples, carrots, and onions with 1 tablespoon olive oil, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Spread apple mixture on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place chicken over apples, using a rack if possible. Rub chicken with remaining tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through. Let chicken rest for a few minutes, then transfer to a cutting board and carve it.
- Partially mash apple mixture with a potato masher and serve with chicken. Sprinkle with fresh parsley, if desired.
Keywords: Roast Chicken with Apple-Carrot Mash
