I finally tried another of the meal plan recipes I’d wanted to experiment with for a whole roast chicken with herbed mushrooms. The recipe was quite simple (once I figured out what exactly was supposed to be tied where on the chicken) although a whole chicken always takes 3 hours or so in our oven instead of 1.5 which can be a bit disappointing when you’re really hungry. I used double as much thyme (although who can determine exactly how much a bunch is when cutting it off your own plant) and more salt and pepper for the mushrooms too. We had baked potatoes on the side. Extremely tasty.

Roast Chicken with Herbed Mushrooms

Prep Time: 20 min

Inactive Prep Time: 10 min

Cook Time: 1 hr 30 min

Serves: About 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 (3 pound) organic free-range chicken
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1/2 red onion, quartered
  
• 1/2 lemon, cut into 4 pieces
  
• 1/2 head garlic, about 6 cloves, smashed
  
• 1 bunch fresh thyme
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
  
• 1/2 pound sliced bacon, cut in 1/2
  
• 3 pounds whole cremini mushrooms, wiped clean with a damp towel

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season the cavity with salt and pepper.
3. In a large bowl combine the onion, lemon, garlic, half the thyme, and 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper and mix it well. Stuff the bird with the mixture.
4. Using 2 (3-foot) pieces of kitchen twine, tie up the chicken: Tuck the wing tips between the wings and the body. Put the midpoint of the twine under the chicken, bring the ends up and around the wings, and pull them tight against the body. Bring the ends of the twine up underneath the legs, wrap the string around them, pull the legs together, and tie them tightly.
5. Place the chicken, breast side up in a roasting pan, and layer the strips of bacon up breast until covered. Scatter over the remaining thyme, drizzle over some more olive oil and season everything with salt and pepper.
6. Roast the chicken for 1.5 – 3 hours; arrange the mushrooms around the chicken 45 minutes after beginning to roast. Baste with the pan juices every 20 minutes. The chicken is done when an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh (the legs should wiggle easily in their sockets.)
7. Remove the chicken from the pan, cover with foil, and let stand for 10 minutes to rest. Serve the chicken with the roasted mushrooms and pan juices.

Because we ate most of the breast-meat off the bird, Stefan suggested I make chicken noodle soup out of what was left. Seemed like a great idea so I tracked down this recipe which made the leftovers and a few random things in our fridge into a fantastic soup. I skipped celery (just because I didn’t have any but used zucchini instead…and added the rest of the mushrooms from the roasted chicken. They were far too good to waste. Unfortunately, my noodles ended up a bit soggy and it’s a strange soup now, more like chicken and dumplings or thick potato soup with big veggie and chicken chunks…but it still tastes great! Leave out the milk if you want – I think it should still taste wonderful but it gives it a nice full, hearty flavor this way.

Roasted Chicken Noodle Soup

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2 teaspoons olive or canola oil
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon poultry seasoning
• 6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups diced peeled potatoes
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups diced roasted chicken breast
• 2 cups uncooked yolk-free wide noodles
• 1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

DIRECTIONS

1. In a Dutch oven or soup kettle, saute the onion, carrots, celery and garlic in oil for 5 minutes or until tender. Stir in the flour, oregano, thyme and poultry seasoning until blended; saute 1 minute longer. Gradually add broth, potatoes and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. Stir in the chicken and noodles; simmer for 10 minutes or until noodles are tender. Reduce heat. Stir in the milk; heat through (do not boil).