Roasted Chicken for Easter

I like lamb or Cornish hens for Easter but Chris does not care for either of these. So this is what we will be having Easter Sunday.  Chicken and dressing was my Mom's go to Holiday meal and it was always delicious. I could not tuck the legs into the chicken because I cut the back out so that the chicken would cook quicker and I did not have any cooking twine to secure the legs, either.  If I had thought about it ahead of time, I would have left a small piece of skin at the base of the chicken, to secure the legs, instead of cutting it out with the back.  It was too late when I realized my mistake.  Normally, I would bone the chicken but that was not what I had intended for today. The chicken tasted great, though.
I had put half of the unbaked dressing, at Thanksgiving, in the freezer, without the egg.  All I had to do was thaw it, add the egg and bake it. If you decide to do this, make sure to freeze it without the egg, and write the directions, including temperature and cook time, on the freezer container. I put the dressing in the bottom of the pan with the chicken on top so that the flavors would penetrate the meat.  It worked wonderfully. You can also use purchased stuffing from the grocery store.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

1 whole Chicken, washed with back removed, and breast bone split
3-4 sprigs of Fresh Rosemary
Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder
Sepay Groves Olive Oil
Cornbread dressing

Follow the directions for preparing the dressing and place in a greased 13" X 9" oven proof pan.
Season the inside and outside of the chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic. Use the salt lightly, due to the salt in the dressing.  Carefully separate the skin from the meat and slide the rosemary sprigs in between.  Drizzle with olive oil and rub the skin so that the oil coats evenly. Remember to SANITIZE the area thoroughly.
Bake in the oven for at 400 degrees until the internal temperature at the leg is at least 180 degrees.
Let cool before serving.

Enjoy!

Deloris