Rosemary, Garlic, Lemon Roasted Chicken with Potatoes

I love the versatility of roast chicken. It's fancy and beautiful and perfect for company.  But when spatchcocked and cooked at a high temperature it gets golden brown and cooked through in a short enough time to make this perfect for a weeknight meal. 

Roasting the chicken over the lemon, garlic, and rosemary makes the chicken super flavorful and delicious.  The flavors permeate the chicken, and you can taste them in every bite.  The high temperature makes the skin golden and crispy while keeping the chicken itself really juicy.

And the potatoes!  Where they meet the cast iron skillet they get crispy and brown, and the chicken drippings bake all around them turning them into golden bites of potato-ey goodness.  

I love this roasted chicken; it has found its way into our weekly meal plan quite often.  When served with green beans, I can have an entire meal ready in less than an hour--including 30 minutes of cooking time.  

Lemon and Rosemary Roasted Chicken

2-3 medium potatoes

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

salt and pepper to taste

1 6-inch square of aluminum foil

1 lemon-quartered

2 sprigs rosemary

4-5 garlic cloves

1 small (3-5 lbs) chicken, spatchcocked

salt and pepper

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. 
2. Cut your potatoes into large chunks. Place them in a mixing bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons olive oil, 1 teaspoon rosemary, and salt and pepper.  Set aside.
3. Into the middle of your aluminum foil place the quartered lemon, 2 rosemary sprigs, and 4-5 cloves of peeled garlic. Gather your aluminum foil around the ingredients, bringing the sides up to create a bowl shape. 
4. Place the foil bowl in the middle of a large cast iron skillet.  Arrange the potato chunks around the foil in a single layer.  
5. Spread your chicken open so you can season the cavity of the chicken. Season with salt and pepper.  
6. Place the chicken breast side up over the foil packet, pat the skin dry with a paper towel, and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary over the chicken. 
7. Put chicken in oven and bake for 30-40 minutes until a thermometer inserted in the thigh measures 160 degrees. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. 
8. You can serve this chicken out of the cast iron skillet, or carve and place on a platter.  Just don't forget about the delicious juices in the pan. They taste like heaven. 

Rosemary roasted chicken is a great meal for Sunday, and it's great for a weeknight too!