My grocery store had a sale on whole roasting chickens today. 68¢/lb. I love a good roast chicken, especially on a Sunday afternoon. So I couldn’t resist.

It reminded me of Sunday dinners growing up. It was always a roast of some sort…chicken, beef, pork. And the smell would fill the whole house. We’d eat in the dining room rather than at the kitchen table, and it always seemed special.

Now that my kids are teenagers, Sunday family dinners are fewer and farther between. But whenever I get the chance, I spend a Sunday afternoon in the kitchen, filling the whole house with wonderful smells…roasts that even my vegetarian daughter has to admit smell amazing!

This roast chicken recipe is very easy. just a handful of ingredients and lots of fresh vibrant flavor. A sliced lemon and a couple of cloves of peeled, slightly smashed garlic go in the cavity of the chicken, along with some salt and pepper. The outside is rubbed with olive oil (or butter if you prefer) and then seasoned with salt and pepper.

Another trick that I swear by is roasting the chicken breast down for the first 30 minutes of cooking time. This makes the breast meat juicier. You can cook it breast down for the whole time, but I prefer crispy skin on my chicken, so I turn it over about 1/2 way through cooking time. Here’s my recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 5-6 lb. roasting chicken
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and lightly smashed
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive Oil

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
2. Rinse chicken in cool water and pat dry with a paper towel.
3. Season chicken cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff lemon slices and garlic cloves into cavity.
4. Rub chicken with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Place chicken breast side down into roasting pan.
6. Place chicken in preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes.
7. Reduce oven to 350°F. Turn chicken over in pan (if desired) and cook for an additional 30-45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer (thermometer should be inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone).