One of our favorite Sunday dinners has to be Roasted Free-Range Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes. This is an easy but delicious recipe the whole family will enjoy!

Roast Chicken with Carrots & Potatoes

Ingredients

• 1 lb carrots
• 2 lb potatoes (we like to use whatever's fresh at the farmers' market)
• 1 bulb of garlic
• 6 sprigs of fresh rosemary
• olive oil
• 1 medium (3.8 - 4.2 lbs) whole pasture-raised, free-range chicken
• 1 lemon, Quartered
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 5 springs of fresh thyme
• 1 small bunch (about 1/4 cup) of fresh sage leaves

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 475°. Rinse chicken under cold water; pat dry with paper towels.
2. Scrub the carrots and potatoes.
3. If you have large carrots, trim and halve, or cut to 2-inch pieces. Add to roasting pan.
4. Peel and halve the potatoes. If you have larger potatoes, feel free to quarter them.
5. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled, and lightly crush with the flat side of a knife. Pick the rosemary leaves, throwing away the stalks.  Add the garlic and rosemary to the tray.
6. Rub the chicken all over with a pinch of salt and pepper, and a drizzle of oil. Stuff the chicken cavity with the quartered lemon, thyme sprigs, and sage. Place the chicken in the pan, on top of the carrots and potatoes.
7. Reduce the oven temperature to 400°, then add the chicken. Roast for 45 minutes. 
8. Carefully remove the pan from the oven, use large spoon or spatula to turn the vegetables over.  Spoon any juices from the pan over the chicken.
9. Return the pan to the oven for another 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (without touching the bone) reads 165°. 
10. Once cooked, transfer the chicken to a board and return the vegetables to the oven for a final 5 minutes to crisp up, if needed.
11. Cover the chicken with a layer of aluminum foil Leave to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. 
12. Using a sharp carving knife, carve up the chicken and serve with the roasted vegetables. 

Notes

• Feel free to add other vegetables to the pan, along with the carrots & potatoes. Quartered onions and celery are two of our favorite "upgrades". 
• After this delicious dinner, we love to use our free-range chicken frame to make a nourishing chicken broth. 
• Place the chicken frame into your slow cooker. Add 2 bay leaves, black peppercorns, and any vegetable scraps you have on hand. Cover with filtered water and cook on low for 24 hours.