Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables

I love fall and all of the delicious food that comes with it.  I love roasting chickens but it doesn't strike me as a summer food so I usually do it this time of year.  Which is a shame because I make a pretty tasty chicken if I do say so myself!  For my family the key to a successful roasted chicken is all in the skin.  You don't have an amazing chicken unless you get that deliciously crispy skin.  Now you can't tell anyone. but I'm going to let you in on my secret to the crispy chicken skin, unfortunately it won't reduce the calories...

Roasted Chicken with Root Vegetables
1 medium onion, sliced
4 beets, sliced
1 whole chicken
1/4 cup butter
1 lemon, sliced
3-5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
salt & pepper

Preheat over to 400°.  Lay sliced onions and beets in the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.  Separate the skin from the chicken breasts by sliding your fingers between the skin and the breast meat, creating a pocket.  Once the skin is separated, slide butter under the skin.  If your butter is warm just shmear it in there.  If not, cut it into chunks or slices to make it easier to insert.  I also like to tuck a little butter between the legs and the body of the bird, because more butter is always better! 

Stuff the lemon slices and rosemary into the cavity of the chicken and sprinkle salt and pepper over the entire chicken.  Place chicken on top of vegetables and bake at 400° for 60 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Whole chickens are a great value because you can use them for so many things.  We usually get two meals out of a roasted chicken (or at least we did before Roman started eating solids) and I often use the leftover meat for wraps or soup.  The bones can also be boiled to make your own chicken stock.

And of course every meal in this house is now cooked under the watchful eye of Roman who has appointed himself the head of quality control.  He also helps wipe down the counter from time to time.  Sometimes he gets distracted but I keep him around because he's a good worker, and he's pretty cute in a onsie!