Roast Chicken Skillet with French Bread Onion Stuffing

Sundays are all about family. Or at least they once were, and we need to make that the center point once again. For so many reason, big and small. These days, that’s easier said then done.

It seems our lives today are so organized and compartmentalization. Get your kids involved in sports – great idea. Or at least it was. When I was a girl, it cost $20.00 to join a Little League, and that included the uniform. If a family didn’t have the money, there were ways around that too. Today it’s upwards of $65.00, not including uniforms. My sister just spent over $100.00 on her son’s soccer uniform. Organized sports for children is big business. With two children involved in sports, my sister spends all her spare time, including most weekends, on the road. Between practice, games, tournaments and training camps, at the end of the day there’s no time left for simple things. There are times when my sister is gone for days with her gymnastic daughter while her husband is at their son’s soccer competition. We are talking completely different directions, at times opposite ends of the state. Throw in work and school, and I have to ask where are the childhood memories created around the family table?

Kiddo is a grown man. Yet we still make it a point to find the time to sit down to a meal together as a family. The day will come when I might not be there, or Hubby might not be there, and I want Kiddo to be able to look back on more then games and schedules but the moments lived. Life is all about moments. Cherish those moments while you can.

Roast Chicken Skillet with French Bread Onion Stuffing
1 large Yellow Onion
3 Celery Ribs
1 Leek
1 Lemon
3 Garlic Cloves
1/4 cup Parsley
1 loaf French Bread
1 Chicken Roaster
Kosher Salt to taste
Black Peppers to taste
1/4 cup Butter, divided
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/2 teaspoon dried Thyme
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
1/4 cup Chicken Stock

Heat oven to 375-degrees.

Begin by preparing the ingredients for Skillet Stuffing. Peel and dice onion, set aside. Trim celery, clean ribs, chop and set aside. Trim leek, slice pale part only, break into small rings and set aside. Zest lemon, set zest aside. Cut lemon in half, set aside until ready to juice. Peel and finely mince garlic, set aside. Snip parsley, set aside. Cut bread into 3/4-inch cubes, set aside.

Next prepare Chicken for Roasting. Butterfly the chicken by removing the backbone with kitchen scissors. Press down on the breastbone to crack chicken open. Use a knife to remove the breastbone. Open the chicken to spread out like a book. Season meat generously with salt and pepper. Turn bird over, skin side up. Rub 2 tablespoons soft butter over the skin. Season with salt and pepper; set chicken aside.

Heat olive oil and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add onions, celery, and leek. Cook and stir until softened, about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon zest, thyme, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Cook until flavors combine, about 5 minutes. Mix in parsley. Remove skillet from heat; transfer vegetable mixture to a bowl and set aside.

Lay bread onto the bottom of the same skillet; let bread toast lightly while soaking in any remaining liquid in the pan. Top bread with the vegetable mixture, gently fold into the bread to create the stuffing. Moisten stuffing with the chicken stock. Lay chicken out on top of the stuffing skin side-up. Squeeze the juice of the lemon over chicken.

Place skillet in the lower half of the heated oven. Bake, uncovered, until the bird is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear. Check after an hour, continue to cook until done, about another 20 minutes or so. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees.

Remove chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes.

Slice chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a platter. Spoon stuffing next to the chicken pieces, serve and enjoy.