Sunday Roast Chicken Anytime

It’s been a while since we talked Sunday Supper just for the sake of family time. We sure don’t miss a Special Sunday Supper, but we haven’t talked Sunday Supper for no reason in a while. And actually, even though today is Sunday, this recipe isn’t for today. Maybe next Sunday. Or even tomorrow.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could have Sunday Supper every night of the week? When I was growing up, the whole family ate every meal at the table. It wasn’t just for Sundays or holidays. Our house had a country-style kitchen with a big family table. Even then, Mom put everything in serving bowls or platters and the table was set nicely. I know TV Dinners were invented when I was a child. I had heard that some people had taken to eating their TV Dinners from TV trays in front of the television. The only thing we ever had on while eating was music. Dad had a collection of records, we dined to everything from Big Band tunes to John Philip Sousa. To this day I have a soft spot for marching music, and when I hear Big Bands, it makes me want to get in the kitchen and bake a loaf of bread. Those are fond memories of a different time.

Sundays, once the weather was cooler, generally meant something roasted for supper, either a chicken or roast beef. Since meals were taken in the kitchen, having the oven on helped to warm the room. It made things seem somehow cozier. In the summer there was a lot of fried or barbecued foods that were eaten on the back patio. Back then, homes didn’t have central heat and air conditioning the way a lot of homes have today. In the summer, we prayed for those delta breezes to bring the temperature down.

Now that I’m retired, we can have “Sunday Supper” just about any day of the week. My idea of a good Sunday Supper is something that takes a bit of planning and prep time. You don’t have Egg Salad Sandwiches for Sunday Supper. The meal should be inviting and families shouldn’t be in an all-fired hurry to leave the table.

As you can imagine, I’ve made a few roast chicken suppers in my life. Some are more memorable than others. This one, hands down, is one of the more moist chicken suppers. I was nervous, with all that salt in the rub. I was afraid that the chicken might dry out or the meat would taste too salty. Nothing could be further from the truth. The salt worked magic, drawing the spices deep into the meat. There was plenty of smoky flavor and just a little hint of heat.

As for the mashed potatoes, I’ve got to tell you I don’t think I’ll ever make plain mashed potatoes again. I had thought of boiling the potatoes in Chicken Stock, but then I remembered my crazy Husband likes to put cream style corn on his mashed potatoes (weird, right?) and I just wasn’t sure the flavors would mesh. So I opted for Chicken Bouillon instead. Yeah, now that I think about it, chicken bouillon didn’t make sense. But it sure did taste good. Come Thanksgiving, I might just need to volunteer to make the mashed potatoes.

The whole point to all this is that family meal time should be special – no matter what day of the week it might be.

Deli-Style Roast Chicken
4 lb Chicken Roaster
Olive Oil as needed
4 teaspoons Salt
2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
1 teaspoon Onion Powder
1 teaspoon dried Thyme
1-1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
2-1/2 teaspoons Mesquite Seasoning, divided
1 whole White Onion
1/2 Red Onion
3/4 cup Chicken Stock

Line a cutting board with two long pieces of plastic wrap large enought to fully wrap the chicken when ready. Set aside.

Pull any excess fat from the chicken. Remove and discard giblets, if any, from the cavity. Rinse chicken cavity, pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken on prepared board. Drizzle chicken with oil, gently rub into the skin. Set bird aside.

In a small bowl, mix together the salt, paprika, onion powder, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper and garlic powder plus 1-1/2 teaspoons of the Mesquite Seasoning. Set mixture aside.

Peel onions, trim ends and cut onions from root to tip in long chunks. Place onions in a bowl. Drizzle with a little oil, sprinkle with a tablespoon of the seasoning mix. Toss to coat and set aside.

Sprinkle a little of the seasoning mix inside the neck and body cavities of the bird. Rub the outside of the chicken with remaining seasoning.

With neck facing out, fill cavity with some of the seasoned onions. Turn bird around, gently lift skin between breast and thigh. Stuff some of the onions against the thigh meat under the skin. Fill the cavity with remaining onions.

Tuck wings under the breast, tie legs together with kitchen twine. Sprinkle remaining teaspoon of Mexquite Seasoning over the breast meat. Double wrap the chicken tight with plastic wrap. Place on a tray and refrigerate overnight.

Heat oven to 325-degrees. Remove chicken from the refrigerator, place on a wrack in a roasting pan. Add chicken stock to the bottom of the pan to prime for juices. Let bird rest on the counter while the oven heats.

Roast, uncovered, for 90 minutes to 2 hours, to a minimum internal temperature of 175-degrees when checked with a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the thigh. Baste chicken a few times with the pan drippings during the last 30 minutes of roasting.

Remove from oven, let stand in the roasting pan, covered in foil, for 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large serving platter. Pour pan dripping over the bird. Carve tableside, serve and enjoy.

---

Flavorful Mashed Potatoes
8 medium Russet Potatoes
1 tablespoon Granulated Chicken Bouillon
1/3 cup Milk
4 tablespoons Butter
Salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste

Peel and cut potatoes into 1-inch cubes. Place potatoes in a large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes by about an inch. Add bouillon to the water. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce and slow boil until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes well in a colander.

Return potatoes to the pot. Add butter, season with salt and pepper. Mash potatoes, adding a little milk until a nice thick mashed consistency is reached. Gently warm potatoes in the pot, stirring as needed.

Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy.

Serve the sliced chicken and mashed potatoes with your favorite sides such as buttery corn. These potatoes are great plain or with gravy.

---

Give the Lord glory and honor