Rosemary Lemon Chicken with Inside-Out Stuffing & Roasted Vegetables
Why bother stuffing your chicken when you can simply cook the chicken in the stuffing? In this recipe, the chicken is nestled in vegetables and chunks of whole-grain bread, for a stuffing-like mixture that’s deliciously infused with the chicken’s natural juices.
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Ingredients
- 4 oz day-old whole-grain ciabatta bread, cut into large chunks
- 2 leeks, halved lengthwise and cut into 2-inch lengths (TIP: Rinse leeks after cutting lengthwise to remove grit from layers.)
- 2 large parsnips, scrubbed and cut into 1-inch length
- 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash (1-inch chunks)
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
- ½ tsp ground black pepper, divided
- 1 small lemon, cut into wedges
- 5 sprigs rosemary, divided
- 1 3-lb whole chicken
- ¼ tsp sea salt
Preparation
- Arrange rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 400ºF. Place bread, leeks, parsnips and squash in the bottom of a large Dutch oven (6 quart, or large enough to accommodate chicken). Drizzle broth and 1 tsp oil over vegetable mixture and toss to coat. Sprinkle with ¼ tsp pepper. Make a well in the middle of the vegetable mixture.
- Place lemon wedges and 2 springs of rosemary inside chicken cavity. Remove leaves from remaining 3 sprigs and finely chop. Place chicken in the well in the vegetables and drizzle with remaining 2 tsp oil. Sprinkle with salt, remaining ¼ tsp pepper and half of chopped rosemary, rubbing oil and spices into skin of chicken to coat evenly. Sprinkle remaining chopped rosemary over vegetables.
- Using kitchen twine, tie legs of chicken together. Cover Dutch oven and roast for 35 minutes. Remove lid and continue roasting another 40 minutes until chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into thigh without touching bone reads 165ºF. Transfer chicken from Dutch oven to carving board and let rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with vegetable mixture.
Related: Skillet-Roasted Chicken with Chive Butter & Rainbow Carrots
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size ¼ of chicken and 1 cup veggies
- Calories 712
- Carbohydrate Content 44 g
- Cholesterol Content 168 mg
- Fat Content 39 g
- Fiber Content 7 g
- Protein Content 48 g
- Saturated Fat Content 1 g
- Sodium Content 461 mg
- Sugar Content 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat Content 17 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat Content 8 g