I know Thanksgiving is literally around the corner but I just couldn’t wait to have cornbread dressing. Plus it was my dad’s birthday so I made him a birthday dinner of a scrumptious roast chicken with delectable dressing. This dinner was so good, even if I do say so myself. The chicken was moist and tasty and the dressing was creamy. I know it’s supposed to have poultry seasoning and sage but I didn’t have any and didn’t want to drag my niece and nephews to the store so I went without. I was a little worried how it would turn out but it was divine!
And can I just say how much of a rock star Ina is. Every dish of hers I have made has been delicious.
Ina Garten’s Perfect Roast Chicken (recipe slightly adapted from Ina Garten)
Ingredients:
1 (5 to 6 pound) roasting chicken
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Dried thyme
1 lemon, halved
1 head garlic, cut in half crosswise
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter, melted
1 large yellow onion, thickly sliced
4 carrots cut into 2-inch chunks
6 red potatoes, cut in half
Olive oil
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Remove the chicken giblets and reserve for dressing. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Remove any excess fat and pat the outside dry. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the chicken. Add thyme to the inside of the chicken. Stuff the cavity with both halves of lemon, and all the garlic. Brush the outside of the chicken with the melted butter and sprinkle again with salt and pepper. Place the onions, carrots, and potatoes in a roasting pan. Toss with salt, pepper, dried thyme and olive oil. Spread around the bottom of the roasting pan and place the chicken on top.
Roast the chicken for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh. Remove the chicken and vegetables to a platter and cover with aluminum foil for about 20 minutes. Slice the chicken onto a platter and serve it with the vegetables.
Cornbread Dressing
Ingredients:
2 boxes Jiffy corn mix, prepared according to package instructions
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup Celery, diced
1 cup Onion, diced
1 can chicken stock
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 egg
Giblets from chicken
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Bake cornbread according to package instructions. Let cool. Boil giblets until cooked. Melt butter in a pan and sauté celery and onions, about 5-8 mins.
Crumble cornbread in a large bowl. Add celery and onions. Dice giblets and add to dressing mix. Add cream of chicken, egg and chicken stock. Generously season with salt and pepper. Combine until mixed thoroughly. Place in a casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.
