Recipe: Lazy Roast Chicken

It doesn't have to be this complicated!

I have no research to back this up, but I suspect that my generation of cooks has lost sight of the roast as an at-home, everyday meal option. But it's so delicious! It sounds daunting, because one envisions spending all afternoon roasting an entire chicken, removing (or forgetting to remove) the giblets, hoisting, carving, dodging bones, and generally feeling all too acquainted with the fact that dinner used to be an actual chicken. Let me help! Here's how I make roast chicken. It takes about 20–30 minutes of prep work, but the steps are super-easy.

This recipe serves 2–3, depending on appetites. You'll need:

olive oil

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cage-free organic if you want to go to heaven) cut into large chunks (3 chunks per breast)

2 cups of your favorite type of potato (I prefer sweet potatoes) cut into chunks

1 cup carrots, cut into small chunks or medallions

3 cups broccoli florets (or cauliflower, or both)

1 red bell pepper, cut into large chunks

4 cloves garlic, sliced

½ medium onion, thinly sliced into rings

salt

black pepper

paprika

red pepper flakes

1. Drizzle 1 tsp. of olive oil onto the bottom of a large baking dish (roughly 12x12x2). Place chicken chunks in the middle of the dish with a bit of space between them. (Using chunks instead of whole breasts reduces cooking time, plus you won't need steak knives when you're eating.)

2. Fill the dish around the edges with potatoes and carrots. Sprinkle with salt.

3. Pile broccoli (and/or cauliflower) on top of potatoes. Peppers go on top of the broccoli. Sprinkle garlic slices over the entire dish. Separate onion rings and arrange them on top of the meat and vegetables.

4. Drizzle the top of the meat and veggies with 1–2 tsp. olive oil. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, paprika, and red pepper flakes.

5. Set oven to 375° and place the dish in the center, uncovered. Roast for 40–45 minutes, until the onion rings are browned and the broccoli has turned crispy at the edges. Chicken should be cooked all the way through.

6. Scoop meat and veggies onto plates, and serve as is or with a side of steak or barbecue sauce for dipping.