When I’m in charge of dinner, I want to do something I can whip up and will cook, hands-off, so I can play with my kid. Chickens were on sale last week, so I grabbed one and a few bags of frozen veggies. 

This is a method, more than a recipe:

Pat your chicken dry and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 500, and put a cast iron pan in the oven. When hot, drop in a few tablespoons of butter, then your chicken, and put in the oven. After 15 minutes, arrange some frozen veggies on a cookie sheet after tossing them with olive oil, salt and pepper.I roasted pearl onions and cauliflower. The cauliflower I sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Toss those in the (smoky) oven with the chicken, and roast another 25 minutes. The veggies should be done, and the chicken (if it’s under 5 pounds) should be done as well. If it’s not – cook a little longer, checking every 5 mins.

Voila! Perfect chicken, crispy skin, and roasted veggies in under an hour while I played.

Bonus points if you want to make gravy! Remove the chicken from the pan, and place the pan over medium heat. Mix in a cup of stock or wine, and let simmer 5 minutes. In a small dish mix together 1 T cornstarch and 1 T water, then whisk into the liquid. Cook until it starts to thicken, and then serve with the chicken.